March 19, 2010: Last year, the United States gave Pakistan four Mi-17 transport helicopters. Now Pakistan wants to give them back. The reason is age, as these four helicopters are old, mostly from the 1990s. One of them has crashed, and the Pakistanis fear it's not worth the hassle of keeping these aging choppers in flying condition.
Pakistan already has over 80 of this model, but is always looking for more. This is especially the case as over a hundred thousand Pakistani troops are at war with Pushtun tribesmen along the Afghan border. Helicopters are an important factor in the army's success in that fight.
The Pakistani army has a fleet of over 300 helicopters, including 28 AH-1 gunships and 35 UH-1 transports. But the Mi-17 is a favorite. Except for the four American gift helicopters. These came from an American training unit, where U.S. maintainers found the advanced age of these birds manageable. But Pakistan does not have the human or material resources of U.S. helicopter maintenance operations.