MOSCOW, July 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Another batch of three military-transport helicopters Mi-17V-5 has been delivered to Afghanistan, a source in the Russian military-industrial complex told ITAR-TASS.

“Another three helicopters has been delivered to the customer. Under the contract with the US Department of Defense, Russia has yet to deliver four batches of the Mi-17V-5 military-transport helicopters with three aircraft in each. We plan to transfer the next batch in July,” the source said.

The transportation of all the helicopters that are assembled at the Kazan Helicopter Plant of the Russian Helicopters holding, is made to Kabul by the Antonov An-124 Ruslan transport planes of the Volga-Dnepr company. The AN-124 delivers to Afghanistan three helicopters in one flight. The helicopters are placed in the cargo compartment of the plane with dismantled rotor blades.

At the moment, the expert said, 51 helicopters have been supplied to Afghanistan and they are used there. “During the whole period of the Russian aircraft exploitation since 2011 the Americans have not made any serious claims to the quality of the helicopters,” the defense industry representative added.

The main contract on the supply of 21 helicopters had been signed by Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport with the US government on May 26, 2011 and was fulfilled by the middle of 2012. Last year, Russian completed the supplies of 12 military-transport helicopters Mi-17V-5 under an additional agreement, concluded with the US government within an option of the main contract.