Czech Republic deploying helicopters to Afghanistan
The government of the Czech Republic has announced it is deploying helicopters to Afghanistan for the first time.
Three Mi-171 transport helicopters will be sent to the south-east of the country in January.
The aircraft - normally based at Prerov - will operate from a base at Sarana and support ISAF troops. The aircraft are being fitted ballistic protection, navigation and communication equipment.
The unit has been preparing for the deployment for the past year undergoing comprehensive training, flying in the Alps and in desert areas in Israel and Texas.
The first group of Czech soldiers were deployed in the autumn to build a mobile hangar and provide logistics. Another group will leave for Sarana in the coming days. The helicopters will be deployed using a transport aircraft and will depart the Czech Republic early in the New Year.
The whole mission is to last two years and pilots will rotate in four-month intervals.
Deputy Defense Minister Jaroslav Kopriva said: "A Czech soldier's participation in international missions is a routine part of his service, since in today's globalized world, the mission should be seen as a direct defence of our state, even if it is thousands of kilometres from its geographical boundaries."
It is not the first time the Czech military has deployed helicopters abroad. Its pilots have served in missions in former Yugoslavia.
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