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Mi-17. Photo:RIA-Novosti
The Pentagon intends to purchase several Russian Mi-17 helicopters to use them in Afghanistan, US weekly “Defense News” has said.
The Editor-in-Chief of the Russian magazine “Natsionalnaya Oborona” (“National Defense”) Igor Korotchenko comments on this:
“The US military contingent is still in Afghanistan, thus it is the US that bears the main responsibility for security in Afghanistan. The Americans want to modernize the Afghan army and security forces to better fight with the remains of the “Taliban” and al Qaeda. The Russian Mi-17 is probably the world’s best selling helicopter. It is easy to manage, flexible and multi-functional – much better than its Western-made analogies. Russian helicopters have already showed themselves well in Afghanistan. The latest model of Mi-17 can be used at night and in sandstorms as well. It can transport people in high-mountainous areas – it doesn’t lose its qualities even at extreme height.”
Today, Mi-17 helicopters are widely used both by the Afghan army and by the US’s allies in Afghanistan. Now, the Pentagon wants to purchase about 20 machines from Russia. The talks are still under way, and it is not yet decided whether it will be new helicopters, or if Russia will probably modernize its old machines, which come to Afghanistan from Central and Eastern Europe, where there are large arsenals of Russian-made helicopters, including those made as early as in the Soviet time.
The fact that the Pentagon approached the Russian “Rosoboronexport” company directly means that it wants to avoid buying counterfeit machines, believes Igor Korotchenko. The issue is that there are quite a few used helicopters with counterfeit parts on sale all over the world, which sometimes causes catastrophes. The Pentagon’s intention to buy helicopters directly from Russia is only logical, but Igor Korotchenko is sure that it is dictated not only by business considerations, but also by political ones.
“For Russia, this bargain is, first of all, business. Russia once used to supply its helicopters to Afghanistan for free, and the West still wants Russia to continue to do it for free. But these times are in the past for good. However, besides the commercial aspect, there is also a political one in this deal – Russia hopes that its helicopters will help bring order to Afghanistan. This will reduce diverse threats to CIS countries that still come from Afghanistan.”
VOICE OF RUSSIA
The Editor-in-Chief of the Russian magazine “Natsionalnaya Oborona” (“National Defense”) Igor Korotchenko comments on this:
“The US military contingent is still in Afghanistan, thus it is the US that bears the main responsibility for security in Afghanistan. The Americans want to modernize the Afghan army and security forces to better fight with the remains of the “Taliban” and al Qaeda. The Russian Mi-17 is probably the world’s best selling helicopter. It is easy to manage, flexible and multi-functional – much better than its Western-made analogies. Russian helicopters have already showed themselves well in Afghanistan. The latest model of Mi-17 can be used at night and in sandstorms as well. It can transport people in high-mountainous areas – it doesn’t lose its qualities even at extreme height.”
Today, Mi-17 helicopters are widely used both by the Afghan army and by the US’s allies in Afghanistan. Now, the Pentagon wants to purchase about 20 machines from Russia. The talks are still under way, and it is not yet decided whether it will be new helicopters, or if Russia will probably modernize its old machines, which come to Afghanistan from Central and Eastern Europe, where there are large arsenals of Russian-made helicopters, including those made as early as in the Soviet time.
The fact that the Pentagon approached the Russian “Rosoboronexport” company directly means that it wants to avoid buying counterfeit machines, believes Igor Korotchenko. The issue is that there are quite a few used helicopters with counterfeit parts on sale all over the world, which sometimes causes catastrophes. The Pentagon’s intention to buy helicopters directly from Russia is only logical, but Igor Korotchenko is sure that it is dictated not only by business considerations, but also by political ones.
“For Russia, this bargain is, first of all, business. Russia once used to supply its helicopters to Afghanistan for free, and the West still wants Russia to continue to do it for free. But these times are in the past for good. However, besides the commercial aspect, there is also a political one in this deal – Russia hopes that its helicopters will help bring order to Afghanistan. This will reduce diverse threats to CIS countries that still come from Afghanistan.”
VOICE OF RUSSIA
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