Thu, Sep 30, 2010
Alabama Company Would Supply The Russian Helos To The U.S.
Navy
A plan for the procurement of 21 new Mi-17 aircraft put forth by
an Alabama-based company has been approved by the Russian
Government. Under RFQ N00019-10-R-0032, the United States Navy is
competitively purchasing the Russian, civil variant Mi-17 aircraft
for Afghanistan. These medium lift helicopters are the primary
support aircraft of the Afghan National Army Air Force (ANAAF).
Mi-17 File Photo
Defense Technology Inc. (DTI) announced in a news release
Wednesday that its proposed plan to supply twenty-one Mi-17 variant
aircraft to Afghanistan has been endorsed by the Ministry of
Defense of the Russian Federation. The preliminary export approval
has also been obtained. According to the letter from the Russian
government, the Ministry of Defense, Directorate of Defense
Exports, has concurred with the planned acquisition method and
stated that there were no impediments to exporting the civil
variant aircraft to Afghanistan.
"This letter assures the U.S. that the DTI acquisition plan
complies with Russian law, and that the export license will be
quickly obtained," said Byron Kreck, Program Manager of DTI's
Afghan Aviation Support Group. "Under previous U.S. Mi-17
contracts, 12 months or more was spent obtaining the required
Russian licenses. This Russian Ministry of Defense pre-approval
eliminates the Navy's risk and ensures that aircraft will be
delivered in a timely manner."
The competitive U.S. Navy procurement for twenty-one Mi-17s,
expected to be worth up to $370M, is planned for award in October
2010. It has been questioned by some lawmakers who represent states
and districts in the U.S. where military helicopters are
manufactured.
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