The Defence Department has quietly acquired a new fleet of helicopters for combat missions in Afghanistan, but is refusing to provide details about how much the deal cost taxpayers or how many aircraft are operating.

The lease of the Russian-designed Mi-17s helicopters for use in Kandahar province is shrouded in secrecy.

The Defence Department says the lease was the result of a competitive contract, but military sources say the details were kept off the MERX web-site, which formally lists government procurement competitions, and no news release was issued about the new choppers, which have been in use since the spring.

Sources say the helicopters are among tens of millions of dollars of purchases of equipment for the Afghanistan mission that the Defence Department has kept secret.

The department will not release the number of helicopters, the cost, nor the name of the company providing the aircraft since it says that information could help Afghan insurgents.

Sources say at least four helicopters are being used.

Canadian Forces spokeswoman navy Lt. Kelly Rozenberg-Payne said the cost of the lease might be made public later.

She said commanders in Kandahar requested the additional helicopters. „The (operational) tempo within the air wing became very great and it was just assessed by commanders on the ground that they needed additional platforms to help move troops around,” she said.

Canada operates Chinook helicopters in Kandahar as well as leasing helicopters from Torontobased Skylink Aviation. The military also operates its Griffon helicopters. Information about those aircraft, such as costs and numbers, have been released. The Chinooks and Griffons are used in combat while the Skylink helicopters are used to supply Canadian bases.

Rozenberg-Payne said „the correct Government of Canada policies and procedures for a project such as this were all followed” in the case of the new helicopters.

Read it on Global News: Details on chopper deal kept secret

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