By Marina Malenic
Air Force Special Operations Command is contemplating the lease of a light-transport aircraft, as well as six Russian-manufactured helicopters for its foreign training mission, according to documents and sources.
AFSOC has plans to lease six Mi-8MTV/Mi-17 helicopters and one de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter cargo plane for one year, according to a Nov. 16 posting in Federal Business Opportunities.
The Mi-17 “provides great reliability while being relatively easy to fly,” said an Air Force official with knowledge of the effort. “Those are two key elements when you’re dealing with these nascent air forces that just don’t have a lot of experience yet.”
The helicopters are being flown by the Iraqi air force and the fledgling Afghan air corps.
“The aircraft will be configured with all the necessary equipment for transport and airdrop of personnel, equipment, and supplies,” the internet notice states.
Additional types of larger aircraft may be needed in the lease’s option years as requirements evolve, it states. It lists the following as potential platforms: CASA C- 212 Aviocar Series 300M, CASA/IPTN CN-235, Cessna [TXT] 208 Caravan Light Utility, BT-67 (C-47T), Beechcraft King Air 350, Antonov An-26, and Antonov An-32.
The Air Force 6th Operation Squadron would operate the aircraft. Its mission is to train, advise and assist foreign air forces.