NAVAIR punts Afghan Mi-17 procurement to NSRWA.
Subsequent to the issuance of this RFP, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy pursued clarification of the process for procuring these Mi-17 aircraft pursuant to Russian laws and regulations. The Department of State has been informed by the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs that any United States Government contract for procuring the Mi-17 aircraft for use by the Afghan Air Force cannot be conducted through civil means and must be effected only through the federal state unitary enterprise Rosoboronoeksport as a military export, a requirement that no existing awardable proposal meets.
After learning the position of the Russian Government, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology has removed NAVAIR’s authority to continue procuring the Mi-17 aircraft. Therefore this RFP is cancelled and the Army Non-Standard Rotary Wing Program Management Office will assume program and contract management responsibilities for procurement of these Mi-17 aircraft.
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