Ok so last week Secretary of Defense Gates to the armed services to cut their budgets,
big cuts in military spending; Air Force, Army etc..
So now news from Russia says that the Pentagon will by Russian Helicopters for use in Iraq.
How does this help our country?
http://www.mosnews.com/military/2009/04/01/mi17/
Pentagon buys 22 Mi-17 helicopters from Russia for Iraq operations
1 Apr, 12:46 PM
Pentagon has signed a $80.6 million contract with Aeronautical Radio Incorporated to have 22 multi-purpose Mi-17ST helicopters purchased from Russia and equipped for US Army operations in Iraq, Itar Tass reported Tuesday.
The helicopters will be manufactured at the Russian Ulan-Ude helicopter plant. They will then be transported to the Robins Air Base in Georgia, US, and have additional equipment fitted. Each machine is to cost approximately $2.4 million.
The contract is to be fulfilled by September, 2010.
The Mi-17/171 helicopter is capable of carrying troops and cargo for air assault of infantry troops, special force team insertion and support to ground troops. The Mi-8 helicopters in the Russian army and many other countries have also often been used for conducting armed attacks and providing close air support with unguided rockets and machine guns. The Mi-17s can be fitted with external weapon pylons similar to those used by the Russian army. External stores are mounted on weapons racks on each side of the fuselage, with a total of six hardpoints.
In 2007-2008 Iraqi armed forces reportedly bought several batches of Mi-17.
Oi. Parabéns pelo excelente blog. Gostaria de lhe convidar para visitar meu blog e conhecer alguma coisa sobre o Brasil. Abração
ReplyDeleteIt saves on shipping? But seriously, unless they have a better safety record than the ones we've been using, this is taking outsourcing to absurd lengths. Or maybe it's just another issue where this administration is pretending to help us while actually working to destroy America in every way imaginable.
ReplyDeleteI am not american nor am I a vet but I heard thru a contractor that russian helicopters are being fitted with american equipment that is being shipped thru Dubia....I have no reason not to believe this is true as the security for the equipment is being provided by American contractors on the ground. I can understand fully the controversy this creates from an american perspective but from a British perspective when our troops are so under resourced particularly in Afganistan, why we cant have a few of these 'copters ourselves????
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