BANGALORE (India). Feb 22 (Interfax) - India has put a freeze on talks on buying 48 Mil Mi-17-V5 military transport helicopters from Russia, but the offer remains on the table, Anatoly Punchuk, a deputy head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), told Interfax.
"India has postponed the discussion of a contract for the delivery of Mi-17-V5 helicopters," Punchuk said.
India has been successfully operating such helicopters in its harsh climatic and geographic conditions for a long time, which makes "the procurement of an additional batch expedient," he said.
"The issue remains on the table, and we will discuss it with Indian partners in the future," Punchuk said.
Earlier reports said that Russia and India were discussing the possible delivery of 48 Mi-17-V5 military transport helicopters.