MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax-AVN) - There is no alternative to Russian helicopters in Afghanistan, and the project of helicopter delivery and maintenance and personnel training will be continued, State Duma Defense Committee Chairman Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said.
"There is nothing to substitute our Mil Mi-8 helicopters with in Afghanistan. So to say, our helicopters are as invaluable for the Afghans as camels are in a desert," Komoyedov told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday, referring to the decision of the North Atlantic Council to suspend cooperation with Russia.
"These decisions of NATO have as much use as a poultice on a wooden leg. If they do not need cooperation with Russia, they are free to do as they wish. It seems the problem is that we speak different languages. They speak English and we speak Russian," the admiral said.
He stressed that the North Atlantic alliance's decision would not have a negative effect on Russian national security.
"We took care of our national security and we will continue taking care of it. In particular, with brand new military hardware, courage and valor of Russian servicemen," Komoyedov said.
It was reported earlier that Russia and the United States had agreed on the delivery of 63 Mil Mi-17V5 helicopters in the joint effort to fight international terrorism.
Rosoboronexport and the U.S. government signed the main contract on the delivery of 21 helicopters on May 26, 2011. It signified the policy of both countries towards the resolution of the common international problem linked to the situation in Afghanistan. That contract was fulfilled by the middle of 2012.
In 2012 the sides signed a supplementary contract on the delivery of twelve Mil Mi-17V5 helicopters, and in 2013 Rosoboronexport and the U.S. government rapidly coordinated and signed a new major agreement on the delivery of an additional batch of 30 helicopters in 2014.
The Mil Mi-17V5 military transport helicopter is a modern modification of the Mil Mi-8/17 family developed by the Moscow Mil Helicopter Plant with the support from the Kazan Helicopter Company, both of which are members of the Russian Helicopters Holding, on the basis of combat use of earlier modifications in conflict zones, among them Afghanistan.