Elbit Systems To Upgrade Mi-17 Helicopters For Asia-Pacific Country

Elbit Systems has won an approximately $110 million contract from an Asia-Pacific country for the upgrade and maintenance of dozens of Mi-17 helicopters.

The project will be performed over a five-year period, the company announced today.

The solutions are tailored to meet customer demands, whether they are for a single system, large-scale systems, structural upgrades or maintenance and support.

Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems said, “Since the "ageing helicopter" market is growing rapidly and includes numerous Eastern platforms, we hope other customers will follow the selection of our modernization solutions".

While Elbit systems has not mentioned the country that allotedit the contract, Defenseworld.net finds that Mi-17 are into service in the following asia paicific countries likely to buy defence equipment from Israel: India, Myanmar, Nepal, Srilanka, vietnam and Thailand.  

These countries together operate Mi17 helicopters but the most popular model in the Asia-Pacific region is the Mi-8/17 series.

India alone is "operating about over 400 such aircraft," said the head of Russian Helicopters Alexander Mikheev, on the occasion of the recent helicopter delivery to India.