Russia To Deliver Mi-17V5 Helicopters To Afghanistan This Year

The Afghan Armed Forces will receive 12 Mil Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters at the end 2013, Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday.

The helicopters were options in a $367.5 million deal Rosoboronexport signed with the Pentagon in May 2011 for delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s. According to US officials, the deal could be worth up to $900 million including spares and servicing, according to Ria Novosti.

“The option agreement has been signed and the delivery will be completed by the end of this year,” said Grigory Kozlov, director of Rosobornexport's helicopter exports department.

Kozlov added that the Pentagon has already started paying for the option deal as well as delivering US equipment to be installed on Russian helicopters specifically for Afghan missions.

Russia and the United States may soon start new negotiations on the purchase of additional Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan despite opposition from some US lawmakers, Kozlov said.

The Afghanistan armed forces want Russian-made helicopters in preference to others, because they have a history of using them since the Soviet invasion, and because of their low prices, durability and simplicity, the report added.