Kazakhstan to get Russian choppers

Russia will deliver some of its Mil Mi-17-V-5 helicopters to Kazakhstan.

The first chopper landed in Astana the other day, reports the press center of Kazakhstan's Defense Ministry.

Press-center officials declined to name the exact number of helicopters, due to be received by Kazakhstan. Such helicopters are being transferred within the framework of more active bilateral military-technical cooperation, they noted.

Russian helicopters will be received by a Kazakh air-force unit and used for close-support missions, aerial reconnaissance, for landing military units and for evacuating wounded and sick soldiers, the Kazakh Defense Ministry's officials added.

Kazakh helicopter crews and ground technicians we re-trained at the Kazan aircraft factory, thus mastering these state-of-the-art choppers, press-center officials said in conclusion.