The Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) has received four new Mi-17 helicopters from the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
The four Mi-17s will provide combat airlift, logistical and medical evacuation support to Afghan forces and government officials.
The helicopters have under ten hours of flight time each, enough to accomplish the functional check flights after delivery to Afghanistan.
The Navy International Programs Office was a key partner in acquiring the Mi-17s for ANAAC and sourced the helicopters from Russian manufacturer Defense Technology.
PMA-207 tactical airlift, adversary and support programmes programme manager James Wallace said that although a non-standard platform and a stranger to the Department of Defense acquisition and sustainment community, the Mi-17 is a familiar, robust, and easy-to-maintain helicopter.
The Mi-17s were ordered by Afghanistan at end of July 2009.
