Philippines Cancels Contract for Russian Mi-17 Helicopters Amid Sanctions Concerns

So a little while ago, it was reported that the Philippine military had selected the Russian-built Mi-17 “Hip” helicopter to meet their requirement for a “Heavy Lift” helicopter. But now it seems that the war in Ukraine has placed a full stop to this purchase, as this past week Manila has scrapped the $229 million contract to buy 16 of the Mi-17s.

Sanction Concerns Lead to Cancellation

According to Former Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, this decision was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte before his six-year term ended on June 30. Manila feared that acquiring these aircraft could result in sanctions being placed on the country. This decision came as a surprise, as Manila up till recently had planned to proceed with the procurement.

Russia’s Arms Delivery to Mali Amid Embargo

Meanwhile, as the Philippines pulled out of an arms deal with Moscow, Russia had recently delivered a large shipment of arms to the African country of Mali. This shipment included eight helicopters as well as several caches of weapons and ammunition. Just this month, Russia delivered a number of L-39 “Combat Jets” to the Mali Air Force.

It should be noted that an arms embargo had been placed on Mali ever since a coup resulted in the country being ruled by a military junta. As a result, the new government has begun to lean heavily on Russia for weapons and ammunition.

~NC