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US to provide Ecuador with Black Hawk helicopters in return for Russian Mi-17 birds

According to the Infodefensa news website, Quito will obtain the helicopters manufactured by the Sikorsky company in exchange for Mil Mi-171 and Mi-17-1V helicopters belonging to the Ecuadorian Army

MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Ecuador’s military will receive an undefined number of UH-60A/L Black Hawk multi-role transport helicopters as part of a deal with the United States that would send Russian-or Soviet-made weapons and equipment to Washington, the Infodefensa news website reported.

According to the website, Quito will obtain the helicopters manufactured by the Sikorsky company (branch of the US’ Lockheed Martin) in exchange for Mil Mi-171 and Mi-17-1V helicopters belonging to the Ecuadorian Army. The article claims that the country’s army has hardly ever put these aircraft into service due to maintenance problems and shortages of spare parts. Only one of these helicopters is currently in working condition, the website said.

This delivery will turn the Ecuadorian Armed Forces into the sixth Black Hawk operator in Latin America, following Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile. Once received, the UH-60A/L will be deployed in the fight against terrorist organizations operating in the republic.

Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has reiterated that it is illegal to transfer any third party the Russian-and Soviet-made military equipment, which was previously sent to Ecuador, without written consent from Moscow. In response to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s January statement that this, as he put it, was "scrap metal," the Russian Federal Service said that "a conclusion on the status of defense products can be made according to the results of its relevant inspection."

Moreover, the Service said that Russia had offered Ecuador some options for cooperation on providing weapons and military equipment maintenance, but there was no response from the country.

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