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Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford urged to back off plans to cut funding ($550 million contract for Rosoboronexport, Russian supplier of the Mi-17), claiming it would have a “catastrophic” effect on Afghanistan’s ability to conduct operations. By the end this year, U.S. will abandon its position in Afghanistan. Russian forces who will replace US are flight ready with the Mi-17, though many would prefer American class equipment.

A report from a top U.S. military watchdog has finally acknowledged that the UH-60A+ Black Hawks that the United States is supplying to the Afghan Air Force are less capable and harder to maintain than the Russian-made Mi-17 Hip helicopters they have now. The review raises concerns that this could limit Afghanistan’s ability to conduct operations across the country unless steps are taking to mitigate the loss of capability, something we at The War Zone have long warned could easily be the case. The Pentagon’s own Office of the Inspector General included these frank admissions in a routine, periodic update...

The U.S. Marine Corps is looking into whether a contractor might be able to supply Mi-24 Hind gunship or Mi-17 Hip armed transport helicopters to add extra realism to various exercises. Outside companies routinely provide these types of helicopters to play mock enemies at a number of U.S. military training events, but this kind of “adversary” support could become even more relevant as American forces across the services refocus on preparing for high-end conflicts against “great power” opponents, such as Russia. On April 26, 2018, the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, or MAGTFTC, posted a draft set of...

WASHINGTON, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Mi-17 helicopter has been a "game changer" in the movement of Afghan forces and supplies in the fight against Taliban insurgents, the United States Army general in charge of American operations and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said. "I think they (Mi-17) have been a force multiplier for the special operating forces and for the conventional forces, the army and the police, they have been mostly moving forces and providing resupply," US Army Gen. John F. Campbell told a gathering of reporters inside the Pentagon briefing room Thursday. "I think that...

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on August 12, 2014. It was his first official visit to the Russian Federation as President. And Vladimir Putin was the first leader to invite him for a visit outside the Arab world since his swearing-in as head of state. The agenda included introduction to a selection of Russian military hardware for sale. (1) The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in the field of arms exports to Egypt in addition to studying the establishment of a logistics center Masri on the Black...

MOSCOW, March 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will allocate $4.1 million to the Russia-NATO Council Helicopter Maintenance Trust Fund in 2014. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the relevant decree, according to a statement placed on the government’s website on Wednesday. This measure is targeted “at training ground support personnel for technical maintenance and repair of Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters of Afghanistan’s army and delivery of spare parts to them,” the statement reads. These funds are envisaged by the Russian Finance Ministry in the federal budget for 2014 for international relations and international cooperation.

The Obama Department of Defense is going to spend nearly $700 million to buy Russian Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan Air Force. That’s right, $700 million of U.S. taxpayer money is going to fund our enemy’s air force. However, not only could this be considered treasonous, but even by the federal government’s 2013 National Defense Authorization Act they are in violation of their own legislation. According to Riz Novosti: WASHINGTON, April 4 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) – The US Department of Defense said Thursday it plans to sidestep a Congressional ban to purchase 30 helicopters from Russian state-owned...

Apparently America has too many jobs so Obama will be spending taxpayer money to support Russia’s defense industry on behalf of Afghanistan. And he’s doing so over the bipartisan objections of Congress from both the right and left and a ban on buying them written into the NDAA. The US Department of Defense said Thursday it plans to sidestep a Congressional ban to purchase 30 helicopters from Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport, despite objections from US lawmakers who allege that the firm has equipped the Syrian government to commit brutal crimes against civilians.

WASHINGTON, April 4 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) – The US Department of Defense said Thursday it plans to sidestep a Congressional ban to purchase 30 helicopters from Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport, despite objections from US lawmakers who allege that the firm has equipped the Syrian government to commit brutal crimes against civilians. “The Department of Defense (DOD) has notified Congress of its intent to contract with Rosoboronexport for 30 additional Mi-17 rotary-wing aircraft to support the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) Special Mission Wing,” Pentagon spokesman James Gregory told RIA Novosti in emailed comments. The 2013 National...

“U.S. taxpayers should not be put in a position where they are indirectly subsidizing the mass murder of Syrian civilians,” wrote the senators, led by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). "We urge you to use all available leverage to press Russia and Russian entities to end their support of the Assad regime, and that includes ending all DoD business dealings with Rosoboronexport, which is within your authority as Secretary of Defense,” they wrote. “Continuing this robust business relationship with Rosoboronexport would undermine U.S. policy on Syria and undermine U.S. efforts to...

Afghan helicopter deal to be ended if Russia continues to arm Assad's Syria Washington, USA - Senators against this purchase due to Moscow's ambiguous policy (WAPA) - Despite Russia sent humanitarian aids to Syria its role in the tragic situation the Country is living is still ambiguous. In fact, 17 US' senators have sent a statement to Pentagon declaring the US' Department of Defense should drop a 900 million dollars contract to supply a Russian Mi-17 helicopter fleet to Afghanistan, since Moscow seems to be arming the regular Syrian Army, led by president Bashar al-Assad. John Cornyn, US senator, also...

India to Buy 71 More Russian Helicopters The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to procure 71 more Mi-17 V5 helicopters, including 12 for the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Business Standard daily reported on Monday. These would be in addition to the 80 already ordered from Russia. Of the 71 helicopters to be ordered, 59 would be provided to the IAF for replacing its old Mi-8 and Mi-17IV choppers and six would go to the Border Security Force. The remaining six would be distributed among the other central armed police forces, IAF officials said. On Thursday the IAF put...

The US has delivered four refurbished Mi-17 helicopters to the Pakistan Army. The overhaul programme, carried out at an American facility, provides critical support to the Pakistan Army by expediting maintenance and returning urgently needed aircraft for flight operations, the US embassy said in a statement. The US has funded maintenance overhauls for 24 Mi-17s in Pakistan Army, 12 of which were completed and returned to Pakistan last year. The remaining eight helicopters are scheduled for delivery later this year. The US is coordinating with the Pakistan Army to fund overhauls for another ten Mi-17s, and recently delivered to them...

Russia will supply Afghanistan with 21 Mi-17 Hip military transport helicopters, an Afghan television channel reported on Monday. According to Tolo television, the contract is worth $300 million and was concluded with the approval of the ? command in Afghanistan. Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti on Monday that NATO had yet to agree on the exact delivery date of some time in July, although the alliance has voiced the need for Russian transport helicopters a long time ago.

The Obama administration's recent lifting of sanctions against Russia's state arms exporter could boost orders for Russian aircraft from a somewhat-unexpected customer: the U.S. military. As part of its effort to equip the militaries of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, the Pentagon has in recent years been snapping up helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from the arsenals of its former Cold War rivals, including Russia. The goal is to help the three countries build air forces that are rugged, affordable and easy to operate. Washington sanctioned Rosoboronexport, Russia's state arms dealer, in 2006 for its dealings with Iran, and lifted those restrictions...

7/6/2010 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Afghan airmen and Combined Air Power Transition Force advisers conducted an operational sling load with an Mi-17 transport helicopter July 1 from Kabul International Airport to Forward Operating Base Orgun-e, Afghanistan in the Paktika province. Flying 12,500 feet above sea-level and carrying a 3,200-pound crate, the Mi-17 handled the load with very few problems. This allows the Afghan air force's 377th Helicopter Squadron members another way to move heavy and oversized equipment or to deliver the equipment in a place without a landing zone. "The Afghans could actually sling load a lot of heavier...

1/5/2010 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- Airmen from the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron here improvised a device to recharge fire suppression bottles for the Russian-made Mi-17 Hip helicopter to save the Iraqi air force tens of thousands of dollars. Maj. William Reynolds and Master Sgt. Jayme Hakenson worked together to design and modify a flightline fire extinguisher that will allow Iraqis to fill fire suppression bottles themselves with Chladon 114B2. "Chladon is a fire retardant," said Major Reynolds, a squadron maintenance officer deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "When released, it removes all the oxygen from the...

MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - Bolivia may order weaponry worth several million dollars from Russia in the near future, a deputy foreign minister said on Friday. Sources earlier reported that Bolivia had expressed interest in buying a number of Russian-made Mi-17 multipurpose helicopters to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. "As to purchases of military equipment, we are interested not only in helicopters, but also in other kinds of weaponry," Hugo Fernandez told a news conference at RIA Novosti. "Agreements on the list of military equipment which we would like to purchase have not yet been reached, but we will...

India to buy 80 copters from Russia New Delhi, Oct. 16 (Xinhua): The Indian Air Force (IAF) will buy 80 medium lift multi-role Mi-17 1V helicopters from Russia, Indo-Asian News Service reported Sunday. The news agency quoted Chief of Air Staff Marshal (ACM), S P Tyagi, as saying that the procedure of purchase is expected to be over within a few months. Russia will start delivering the helicopters in 2007 and finish it within a year, he said. Tyagi did not mention the cost of the purchase, but it could be around 30 billion rupees (662 million US dollars) depending...

Jets to be sold to Mexico, Brazil, pilots trained in Venezuela 11:46 | 28/ 09/ 2006 BUENOS-AIRES, September 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's state-owned arms exporter said Thursday it will soon sign deals to export Sukhoi warplanes to Mexico and Brazil, and will open helicopter maintenance and pilot training centers in Venezuela. Rosoboronexport's regional department head, Sergei Ladygin, said: "We hope that Sukhoi planes will soon appear in Latin American countries." Speaking on the sidelines of a military exhibition in Argentina, SINPRODE-2006, Ladygin said Rosoboronexport will also offer a modernized version of the Mig-29 Fulcrum fighter to Mexico and Brazil....