MOSCOW. April 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Palestine is planning to procure two Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters and 50 BRDM-2 combat and reconnaissance vehicles from Russia, a high-ranking official of the Russian Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"Talks on supplying Palestine with two helicopters and a batch of BRDM vehicles have been in progress for about two years. Unfortunately, we have so far failed to reach an accord on payment for and after-sale servicing of the hardware intended for supplies to Palestine, which causes delays in signing the contract," the official said.
BRDM-2 vehicles are to be used only in the interests of Palestinian police forces, he stressed. The helicopters are intended for airlifting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and other high-ranking Palestinian officials.
According to the Russian official, hardware to be supplied to Palestine will come from the Defense Ministry's warehouses in case the contract is signed. It will go through expanded pre-sale servicing before shipment.