India To Supply Afghanistan With Four Refurbished Mi-24 Gunship Helicopters To Bolster Its Air Force

As part of a trilateral defence deal which includes Belarus, India is all set to provide Afghanistan with four gunship helicopters by July, which is still one year short of the original schedule, reports Hindustan Times.

As per the pact between the three countries, the Mi-24 helicopters supplied by India would be upgraded by Belarus before final delivery to Afghanistan. It is believed that two of the helicopters could reach Afghanistan as early as April, while another two could be delivered by June or July.

This is only the second time that India has decided to supply lethal military equipment to Afghanistan. Previously, four Mi-24s were handed over to the Afghan forces in 2015-16.

India has also been working on plans to help repair and refurbish other Russian/Soviet-origin equipment of the Afghan Air Force, apart from the Mi-24s.

Afghanistan’s National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib had discussed the issue of four additional helicopters and other types of military assistance with Indian officials during his January visit to New Delhi.

Since the Taliban regime was overthrown in 2001, India has committed over $3 billion in aid to Afghanistan, mostly in the form of non-military aid. It has also played a major role in helping train personnel from the Afghan military.