Philippines Wants To Sign Deal With Russia On Mi-171 Helicopters In 2019- Defense Official

PATRIOT PARK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2019) The Philippines wants to agree a deal to buy Mi-171 helicopters from Russia within this year and considers the deal a "priority," the undersecretary for finance and materiel at the Philippine Department of National Defense, Raymundo DV Elefante, told Sputnik.

Philippine Undersecretary of National Defense Cardozo M. Luna told Sputnik in April that the country was considering buying Mi-171 helicopters from Russia. According to Luna, the Philippines might be interested in buying 16 or 17 helicopters.

"It [Mi-171] is a priority; right now we are in the process of procuring it. It's in initial stages but hopefully within this year we will be having commitment for that.

There is no signing yet but we intent to do it hopefully within this year," Elefante said on the sidelines of the ARMY-2019 International Military-Technical Forum currently held in Moscow region.

The undersecretary said that these aircraft would be particularly useful for the Philippines in disaster relief operations.

"There are other things that are essential also, but we will do it one at a time and on a priority basis," the undersecretary said.

The forum started earlier in the day and will be held until June 30 at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, located at the Kubinka air base just outside Moscow.

Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is an official media partner of the forum.