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Colombia seeks to buy eight US-made military
helicopters
The Colombian government is
seeking to buy eight US-made Black Hawk military helicopters worth 100
million US dollars, Colombia's Defense Minister Jorge Uribe said Friday.
"We're holding talks with the producer, Sikorsky, with the cooperation
of the US government," the minister said.
Two of the aircraft will probably be handed to Colombia before the year
ends and the rest will arrive in 2006.
The new helicopters, to be lightly armed, will be used for the
transportation of troops and war materials to the areas of conflict.
Currently, the Colombian forces count on a fleet of 120 helicopters. At
least 60 UH-60 Black Hawks and UH-1H Bells have been donated by the
United States within the framework of cooperation in the combat against
drugs.
In addition, Colombia has bought around 60 Black Hawks and Russian-made
MI-17 helicopters.
These aircraft are indispensable for the army to move in the mountainous
and jungle regions in Colombia.
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