US Cancels Russian Helicopter Deal Amid Syria Standoff – Senator

[DESERT FIGHTER]

WASHINGTON, November 13 (RIA Novosti) – The United States has scrapped plans to purchase additional helicopters from state-run Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport amid pressure from federal lawmakers over Russian arms deliveries to Syria, a top US senator said Wednesday.
“I applaud the [US] Defense Department’s decision to cancel its plan to buy 15 additional Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport,” US Sen. John Cornyn said in statement, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, has been leading a push in Congress to oppose the Pentagon’s purchase of Russian helicopters for deployment in Afghanistan due to Moscow’s weapons shipments to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad as his forces battle rebel groups in a fierce civil war.
Russia has insisted that it is fulfilling existing contracts with Syria, and that the deliveries are legal under international law. Moscow has also questioned the composition and goals of the various armed groups fighting the Assad regime.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Wednesday afternoon.
The 15 Russian-built Mi-17s were slated to be purchased by the Pentagon next year for $345 million and then given to Afghan national security forces, the AP reported.
“Doing business with the supplier of these helicopters has been a morally bankrupt policy, and as a nation, we should no longer be subsidizing Assad’s war crimes in Syria,” Cornyn said in the statement, The Associated Press reported.
The United States has purchased a total of 63 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters from Russia for use by the Afghan National Army.
The United States and several other countries accuse Assad’s government of being behind an August 21 chemical weapons attack outside Damascus that Washington claims left more than 1,400 dead.
The Syrian government in turn has accused rebel groups it has been battling since March 2011 of being behind the attack, though it agreed to a Russia-brokered deal to destroy its chemical weapons ****nal.
The deal was struck amid threats by Washington that it would carry out military strikes against Syrian government targets in response to the Aug. 21 attack.


US Cancels Russian Helicopter Buy Amid Syria Standoff – Senator | World | RIA Novosti

 

[Luftwaffe]

Why not sell older UH-60BHW plenty in stocks EDA should be applied here or US is afraid it would end up in Pakistan.

If the news is true of further orders to be cancelled means the current inventory soon will have spares problems which would mean grounding them in the coming years, enjoy afghanistan that is how US fks up everyone.

 

[Leviza]

Why not sell older UH-60BHW plenty in stocks EDA should be applied here or US is afraid it would end up in Pakistan.

If the news is true of further orders to be cancelled means the current inventory soon will have spares problems which would mean grounding them in the coming years, enjoy afghanistan that is how US fks up everyone.

they do not have any $$$ for that purchase , that is why they are find some excuses now..

 

[Luftwaffe]

they do not have any $$$ for that purchase , that is why they are find some excuses now..

I understand afghanistan has no money of its own for Military purchases it is US that is spending, A favor in return for the opium that is making US government/Generals richer if they do not have money they should get older UH-60 inventory being in use by US Army because sooner or later US is going to get rid of those older Back Hawks, any way i think afghanistan is sliced and roasted between US and Russia, to me these Helicopters would sooner be seen in bone yard in afghanistan.

 

[Leviza]

I understand afghanistan has no money of its own for Military purchases it is US that is spending, A favor in return for the opium that is making US government/Generals richer if they do not have money they should get older UH-60 inventory being in use by US Army because sooner or later US is going to get rid of those older Back Hawks, any way i think afghanistan is sliced and roasted between US and Russia, to me these Helicopters would sooner be seen in bone yard in afghanistan.

even USA does not have any $$$ , their GOV was shutdown to more then 2 weeks and you think they will spend something for Afghanistan, where too much is already gone... without any results?

 

[Luftwaffe]

even USA does not have any $$$ , their GOV was shutdown to more then 2 weeks and you think they will spend something for Afghanistan, where too much is already gone... without any results?

By the logic US should wind up most of international bases to cut the costs and go back, No?

 

[Leviza]

By the logic US should wind up most of international bases to cut the costs and go back, No?

they wont get to this as once in power , one always think things will stay the same , but do they???

USSR and UK are the examples but did US learned from that? NO

So that is why history will repeat itself again ...