Peru to acquire 24 Mi-171s from Russia

The government of Peru has finalised an agreement with Russia to acquire 24 Mil Mi-171 helicopters, according to a media release from Peru’s minister of defence. The price of the agreement, which includes a flight simulator and the cost of pilot training in Peru, is not specified. The aircraft will be delivered between the second half of 2014 and the end of 2015, says the government. In addition, Russia has agreed to open a regional helicopter maintenance and repair centre in Peru in the first quarter of 2016, says the government. The maintenance centre will be expanded by 2018 to allow Peru to conduct maintenance on Russia helicopters operated by other Latin American countries. Peru says it will use the MI-171s for anti-drug and anti-terrorism missions in an Amazon jungle area called the Valley of the Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers. That region is known for production of cocoa leaves, which are used to make cocaine, and is a base for an insurgent group called Shining Path, according to reports.