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.

FMI: www.navy.mil