Afgan Helicopters to be rented

[Almost_done]

In todays Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/25/wafg225.xml)a report is given from the last NATO meeting stating the need for extra equipment and supoort from other Member Countries.
said yesterday: "I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over two million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen cannot find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan."

While Countries were not named what is disturbing/worrying is the possibility of outsourcing SH to private companies.

[stas-fan]

If you are waiting for this weeks re-supply you may have a different opinion!
It is a good idea in principle, the problem is (and I know cos I have been in both camps) as soon as you price the Helicopters with the DAS and other essential toys you lose to a cowboy quote which offers Mi-8 / 17 flown by hours builders.
You can buy an Mi-17 for $1.5m, but it costs more than that to mod it for battle. I'd put a tenner on at Ladbrookes now that this idea will be taken up as it is a good one, however, the odds are on that it will go to the lowest offer. Somethings need to be reasurringly expensive for a reason.

[Compressorstall]

Such as this lot?

http://www.sss3.co.uk/helicopter_capability/

[stas-fan]

I went to the website and saw a photo of something Russian and Big, my friend owns it, not Treble S!!

But yes something like that.

I don't know them as a company and they may be ok, but have any of their platforms ever seen a DAS?

[FrogPrince]

There was an Mi-26 on contract at KAF over the Spring and Summer. Huge beast !

Had a couple of chats with the Russian engineer chappie. No DAS suite on the aircraft that I could see, though.....

:rolleyes:

[Fox3snapshot]

Had 4 Mi-26 and a dozen or more Mi-17's in Somalia tasked to the UN and they did a sterling job. Canadian Helicopters were also involved at one point and had a huge fleet with a good response/serviceability rate.

Don't see a problem with contracting it out if the needs of the services are met. Takes the pressure off the military fleets by reducing the menial day to day tasking leaving them for the more important sorties. :)

[Green Flash]

And they'll be there when the sh!t hits the fan, eh? Gauranteed, eh? Hmmm .....

[Max Contingency]

This is a contract for freight only. There are already 2 similar contracts up and running in Afghanistan. If it frees up our aircraft to do other things then so much the better.