Sri Lanka to get 14 Mi-171 helicopters from Russia

Colombo: Sri Lanka has signed a contract to purchase 14 Mi-171 helicopters from Rosoboronexport State Corporation, a state-owned arms enterprise under a Russian credit deal, Russia’s state news agency Itar-Tass reported.

ITAR-TASS said it has learnt that from a press service of the enterprise, Rosoboronexport will supply 14 Mi-171 helicopters of different modifications to Sri Lanka, two years after it ended a three-decades long terrorist war.

“A corresponding contract for supplying the helicopters will be carried out on account of the Russian state credit given to Sri Lanka by Russia in 2010 for purchasing Russian armaments,” the news agency said without giving any details on the deal.

The Ulan-Ude Aviation Works will fulfil the contract, the report said citing a representative of the press service.

Reportedly the Ulan-Ude Aviation Works is engaged in producing helicopters of four modifications including multipurpose Mi-171, cargo-passenger Mi-171A and military-transport Mi-171 Sh.

Alexander Mikheev, a Rosoboronexport representative said in a press release that the company has signed a contract to deliver MI-17 military family helicopters to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Air Force sources say that it is in dire need of helicopters due to technical problems of some of the helicopters they have now. It has been reported that Sri Lanka Air Force has also decided to acquire two new Bell-412 helicopters. (www.colombopage.com)