Watchdog warns about DoD Afghan Mi-17 purchase
The Pentagon has approved the purchase of 30 Russian made Mi-17 helicopters for an Afghan special unit, despite warnings from a government watchdog the deal was fraught with risk.
Under the contract awarded on 16 June, the new rotorcraft will be supplied to the Afghan Special Mission Wing (SMW), a newly formed Afghan military unit commissioned to perform anti-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations, amid concerns the unit is not ready for them.
A draft report issued to the Department of Defense (DoD) by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) prior to the purchase, alerted government officials to
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