Originally Posted by
melmothtw
Not 'better', but arguably better suited to the needs and capabilities of the Afghan Air Force.
Imagine that, if you need a bigger helo, you should get a bigger helo. I'm sure a Chinook or Super Stallion would "out perform" or be "better" than a Mi-17 if all you're looking for is lift capability and cabin capacity.
And incidentally, since US funds were used to buy and maintain the helos, it makes perfect sense to buy a US helo vs a Russian one, independent of "capability."