The Pentagon rejected the recommendation to suspend the purchase of Russian Mi-17

The US Department of Defense did not support the proposal of its inspector general for reconstruction in Afghanistan, John Sopko, who advised to “freeze” the purchase of Russian Mi-17 helicopters and American PC-12 aircraft for local special forces.
Contracts for the purchase of X-NUMX modified Mi-30 and 17 multi-purpose light-duty single-engine turboprop PC-18 helicopters were concluded by the US military with Rosoboronexport and Sierra Nevada in June and October last year, respectively. According to the reconstruction inspector’s office in Afghanistan, the cost of the Mi-12 supply contract was 17 million dollars, and the PC-553,8 cost was 12 million.

These vehicles should come into service with the Afghan aviation wing, designed to support the operations of the local special forces, which are now being created by the United States and NATO.

After analyzing the implementation of the plans to create this wing, Sopko and his subordinates stated that at this stage there are not enough Afghan pilots to service the purchased equipment. Now the wing is staffed only 180 military, which is less than one-quarter of the required number. In addition, it is necessary to improve the skills of these pilots before they can competently use the acquired helicopters and airplanes, the Inspector’s Office considers.

He presented his conclusions in the form of a new report on this topic. The key provision of this document was the recommendation to postpone the implementation of contracts concluded with Rosoboronexport and Sierra Nevada, ITAR-TASS reports.

However, the US Department of Defense did not agree with this conclusion. Commenting on him, Pentagon spokesman Jim Gregory, a US Army lieutenant colonel, said today that from the point of view of his department and the task of training the Afghan security forces “in the near future,” there is an “urgent need” to purchase Mi-17 for the wing being built optimal for the tasks that are put in front of this special forces unit.

In addition, “a thorough examination of all the information available to the ministry confirms that it is in the public interest to acquire the necessary for the Mi-17 wing from Rosoboronexport, Gregory stressed.

In a statement directly included in the report, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense overseeing relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan and the countries of Central Asia, Michael Dumont, said that recommending to freeze the implementation of contracts "does not meet our national interests." Such actions would only “drag out in unacceptable ways our efforts to turn the wing into a combat-ready force,” said Dumont.

Comments

[Denis]

recommendation to freeze the execution of contracts “does not meet our national interests”

Politics by politics, but no arguing against the truth. Legends go about the reliability of the machine
Yes, the Mi-8 is already a business card of the country as AK has become!

[Rustam]

that's what the choice of products means! regardless of country of origin

And if American helicopters were bought with our money, and they would be armed with some sort of Mali-I can imagine that here would be here all would be recorded as enemies of the people


PS - The US Army purchases (mainly) for itself and its allies, not only equipment labeled MADE IN USA), but takes one that is actually in demand and more technologically advanced even from its own manufacturer, but the only thing they create is a joint venture

And we have - how many screams, screams, screeches - and Mistral was (finally the people basically understood its necessity) and Iveco, and rifles, campsites, navigation systems

Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation — it’s necessary to take or create joint ventures with foreign companies — if their products are better than those offered by our military-industrial complex — by the way, the price gap is not the same as it was before, our gags in this sense pulled up to the west, but reliability quality

certificate of the RF Ministry of Defense- "In 2012, the number of claims for low-quality military products increased by 60% compared to 2011," said a representative of the defense department.

PHOTOS - NEW MI-17V5 in the Afghan Air Force

[Setrac]

Quote: Rustam

that's what the choice of products means! regardless of country of origin

Your enthusiasm is incomprehensible, they are not buying for themselves and not for their grandmothers. Who's stopping you from doing the same? Buy Iveco, for example for Cyprus, 17 units for their money.
But otherwise you are right.

[Lopatov]

American money.

[Setrac]

Quote: Spade

American money.

Someone would doubt that dollars are US money, but this debt will fall on Iraq’s shoulders and will have to pay by no means green waste paper.

[andrei332809]

So, among amers, warriors with industrialists quarreled. let's see what happens next. or the warriors will squeeze politicians out of production, or these moneybags fire half the staff. Interestingly, this confrontation can result in something serious?

[maxvet]

in states, industrial workers will be stronger than warriors

[Uzer 13.]

Well, here is an example of real cooperation in military affairs. The American military turned out to be realists and pragmatists and decided not in the interests of the American military-industrial complex, but at the same time demonstrated professionalism and impartiality in solving the problem.

[svp67]

The Pentagon rejected the recommendation to suspend the purchase of Russian Mi-17

there are no fools sitting, one parade, another war in the mountains ...