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SLAF to procure four MI-17 Choppers and repay through UN peacekeeping mission revenue
The Sri Lanka Air Force to procure four MI - 17 Helicopters under the Russian Military Credit Facility as a result of years of negotiations between the Government of Russia and Sri Lanka.
SLAF Spokesman Dushan Wijesinghe said the four aircraft are expected to be procured by the SLAF for future UN peacekeeping operations and it is confident that Sri Lanka will be able to repay the loan with the foreign exchange earned by contributing to the operation.
The spokesman said there is a growing social opinion spreading across the country as to whether it is time to aquire aircraft when the country is battling Covid pandemic.
He said the Government is not spending money on this project at this time.
The Russian government has agreed to provide the loan at a very low interest rate as well as a long-term repayment structure, the spokesman said.
The SLAF has been attached to the UN peacekeeping mission since 2014, with two Air Force Squadrons assigned to peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Central African Republic, he said.
"These squadrons have provided US$112 million or approximately Rs. 22,400 million to the Treasury this year alone," he said.
He said the MI-17 helicopters of SLAF have been used for UN peacekeeping missions and that a large amount of foreign exchange has been pumped into our coffers.
"At present, six SLAF's MI-17 helicopters are actively engaged in UN peacekeeping operations. In the event of a chopper that is found malfunctioning during the operation, a replacement chopper will be deployed for the continuation of the peacekeeping mission.
Sri Lanka has an agreement and if it fails to do so, the SLAF will have to withdraw from the UN peacekeeping mission. If so, it will be a great loss to the national economy," Group Capt. Wijesinghe said.
The MI-17 helicopters were first introduced to the SLAF in 1993. At present it has 21 MI-17 helicopters, of which about 10 are in operation.
The remaining choppers need to be repaired, the spokesman said.( Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)
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