The United States will next year buy 30 Russian-made helicopters for the Afghan army, Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Friday. The batch of Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters will raise to 63 the quantity of that model supplied under US-Russian deals for the Afghan National Army. In October, Russia handed over th 12th Mi-17V5 to the United-States under the 2012 contract between the 2 governments.

The helicopters were options in a $367.5 million deal Rosoboronexport signed with the Pentagon in May 2011 for delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s. According to US officials, the deal could be worth up to $900 million including spares and servicing.

“The option agreement has been signed and the delivery will be completed by the end of this year,” said Grigory Kozlov, director of Rosobornexport's helicopter exports department.

In the end, the Afghan army will receive 63 Mi-17V-5 in accordance with the Russian-American agreements related to the international cooperation against terrorism, according to Rosoboronexport.