Russia to deliver 30 choppers for Afghan army under contract with US by year-end

MOSCOW, May 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will complete the supplies of 30 helicopter gunships Mi-17V-5 for Afghanistan’s army under a contract with the United States before the end of October 2014, the Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Co-operation Alexander Fomin told Itar-Tass on Thursday. “The contract is to be closed by October 31, 2014. Twelve choppers have already been delivered,” he said. So far Afghanistan has received 45 Russian choppers Mi-17V-5 under the current and previous contracts with the U.S. First, the Russian state-run weapons exporter Rosoboronexport and the U.S. government on May 26, 2011 signed the main contract for the delivery of 21 helicopter gunships. That contract had been fulfilled by the mid-2012. Last year Russia provided another 12 Mi-17V-5 helicopters under an addendum to the main 2012 contract. Simultaneously Rosoboronexport and the U.S. agreed on and signed another major contract for the delivery of a second batch of 30 choppers in 2014. A total of 63 helicopter gunships Mi-17V-5 1,333 billion dollars worth will be supplied under the bilateral arrangements for the Afghan army as part of joint efforts in the fight against international terrorism. All helicopter gunships are equipped with night vision goggles. Learn more on itar-tass.com