DIYbanter - On Pentagon shopping list, Russian helicopters

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...444463104.html

WASHINGTON€”The Obama administration's recent lifting of sanctions
against Russia's state arms exporter could boost orders for Russian
aircraft from a somewhat-unexpected customer: the U.S. military.

As part of its effort to equip the militaries of Afghanistan, Iraq and
Pakistan, the Pentagon has in recent years been snapping up
helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from the arsenals of its former
Cold War rivals, including Russia. The goal is to help the three
countries build air forces that are rugged, affordable and easy to
operate.

Washington sanctioned Rosoboronexport, Russia's state arms dealer, in
2006 for its dealings with Iran, and lifted those restrictions in May
as part of an effort to win Moscow's support for new Iran sanctions.

But even as the move could open the door to more purchases of
Russian-made helicopters, U.S. lawmakers are complaining about a lack
of oversight of the procurement process and asking the military to
consider buying more American-made aircraft.

A Department of Defense spokeswoman said the Pentagon had received
"several inquiries" from lawmakers about the purchase of Russian-made
Mi-17 helicopters, adding that the department issued a report to
Congress in March addressing the issue.

"Analysis conducted by [U.S. Central Command] in 2005 identified the
Mi-17 as the most cost-effective means€”at the time€”for addressing
the operational requirements of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan," the
spokeswoman said.

The Mi-17 helicopter is a workhorse transport aircraft seen as
versatile and easy to maintain. The U.S. has spent more than $800
million over the past several years to buy Mi-17s; a single Mi-17
costs around $12 million, according to the State Department, although
figures vary depending on the contract, and congressional critics say
the price tag can be higher.

The helicopters are mostly used for airlifting troops and equipment to
fight insurgents in remote regions.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with the Teal Group, an
aerospace and defense consultancy, said Soviet-bloc aircraft are
"cheap to operate because of simplicity of design," and the militaries
of these countries have "worked with them before."

Acquiring such aircraft wasn't easy after the 2006 ban on trade with
Rosoboronexport. To meet the Pentagon's orders, private companies
acquired civilian-model Russian-made helicopters and converted them
for military use, said people familiar with the transactions.

With the lifting of the sanctions, more Russian helicopter purchases
could be in the works. Following a June meeting between President
Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, the two
sides announced in a joint statement they were "working on the
possibility of assisting Afghan security forces by supplying
Russian-made helicopters and spare parts." The Pentagon declined to
provide further details.

The U.S. military's efforts to help its foreign allies build
low-budget air forces are facing increased scrutiny in Congress, with
some lawmakers questioning the approach. The Mi-17 procurement "either
had uncoordinated oversight or simply none at all" by the government,
Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) said in an interview. "The results have
led to massive waste, cost overruns, schedule delays, safety concerns,
and major delivery problems," he said. He urged the government to
"analyze alternative airframes, and select the best helicopter for the
mission."

In response, the military has argued that Mi-17s could be procured
relatively quickly, while the production lead time required to get
U.S.-made alternatives to field was lengthy, in some cases two or
three years.

Some U.S. lawmakers want the government to consider buying
American-made equipment to support the U.S. economy. The House version
of the fiscal 2011 defense-authorization bill says U.S.-made
helicopters should be among the options when the U.S. considers buying
aircraft for the Afghan air force.

Pakistan has received 10 Russian-made helicopters at U.S. taxpayer
expense, and U.S. counterinsurgency funds have paid for the overhaul
of a dozen Pakistani Mi-17s.

Iraq's military operates a fleet of 18 Mi-17s, with another 22 on
order, eight of which were paid for by the U.S. government. The
Department of Defense has bought 31 Mi-17s for Afghanistan's security
forces, and the pending defense budget for fiscal 2011, beginning in
October, includes a $180 million request for the procurement of 10
additional Mi-17s for Afghanistan.

"I would love to transition this to all-Western [aircraft], as a
U.S. pilot and aviator," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Boera, who
oversees the effort to strengthen Afghanistan's air forces. "But the
fact remains I need to make decisions based on what's best for the
Afghans."