The Colombian Ministry of Defense has filed a complaint against the American company Vertol System for disrupting a $32.4 million contract for the maintenance of Russian Mi-17 helicopters. The agreement was signed in December 2024, Defensa reported.
According to the document, the Americans were to overhaul three Mi-17s and prepare three more helicopters for the extension of their airworthiness. In addition, it implied the supply of spare parts.
However, Vertol System only fulfilled part of its obligations. In this regard, the Colombian Ministry of Defense initiated an administrative review.
Initially, Vertol System was at the center of the scandal. Some Colombian officials doubted the ability of the American company to service Russian helicopters. Moreover, it did not have certificates for the repair and maintenance of Mi-17.
Later it became known that Vertol System exceeded the estimate for the work performed. The company also signed a subcontract with MI-Series Personel & Parts.
This raised questions about how Vertol System planned to obtain original components, given the anti-Russian sanctions.
The holding "Russian Helicopters" filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General's Office of Colombia, stating that MI-Series Personnel & Parts has neither technical documentation nor certificates for the repair and maintenance of Mi-17-1B and Mi-17-MD/Mi-17-V5 helicopters.
Currently, the Colombian Air Force fleet includes 6 Mi-17-1B, 5 Mi-17-MD and 7 Mi-17-V5. All rotorcraft were assembled at the Kazan Helicopter Plant from 1997 to 2009.
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