As I see it, the Pentagon's decision to acquire Russian helicopters for use in Afghanistan is foolhardy. Why should we spend our tax dollars creating jobs in Russia? The NATO training mission in Afghanistan requested that the United States purchase 21 helicopters for use by the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan. Their premise is that the Russian Mi-17 helicopters were designed for use by the Russians during their failed war against Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.

In issuing the Request for Proposal (RFP), the Pentagon specified that the helicopters had to be a variation of the Russian Mi-17. This RFP was a sole-source procurement. This means that American firms like Sikorsky were not even considered in the decision. Sikorsky's S-61 helicopter is said to have lower lifecycle costs than the Russian alternative. What does the Pentagon have against Sikorsky helicopters? Sikorsky says their machines can perform the mission required of them and at a lower cost.United Technologies, the parent of Sikorsky, slashed over 11,000 jobs in 2009. They cut another 900 jobs by June of this year and are now looking at another 1500 jobs being eliminated in 2011. If this order were awarded to Sikorsky, it would certainly create continued employment for some highly skilled aircraft technicians. The United States is funding and fighting the war in Afghanistan. Our soldiers risk their lives every day protecting the Afghanis. Given this, it is insane for the Pentagon to buy Russian helicopters over machines made right here in the USA! Our servicemen and women paid for these helicopters with their blood. Has the Pentagon forgotten the soldiers lost in this war? If NATO countries such as France, Germany and Canada want to buy these Russian helicopters as a gift to the Afghanis people, then they can pay for them without using American funds.As for our politicians, I ask them to stand up now and stop this procurement debacle. Let's put this helicopter order up for competitive bidding, and as is normal practice in every country, give preference to our own manufacturers. Boeing Corporation makes helicopters. Their CH-47 Chinook helicopter has already been used successfully in Afghanistan. Lockheed Martin is also a major helicopter manufacturer. Surely one of these companies can provide the helicopter needed for Afghanistan. If American troops are expected to defend the Afghanis, let them do so with American built equipment.On August 21, the Russians will begin loading nuclear fuel into an Iranian reactor. Everyone has said that this reactor will not be used to produce weapons grade nuclear material. The same assurances were offered to Canada when they agreed to supply nuclear fuel to Pakistan in the 1970s. The Pakistanis violated the agreement and used this reactor and fuel to make atomic bombs. The paranoid side of my brain is wondering if there was a deal to reward Russia with the helicopter order in return for supplying Iran with nuclear material. Once the reactor is fueled, Israel will not be able to safely destroy it, bringing Iran into the nuclear club of nations.I certainly hope that our government was not involved in any backdoor deal to give Iran uranium and pay for it with the purchase of Russian helicopters. Yet the confluence of three separate issues within a short period of time leads me to conclude that something is afoot. Why would we buy Russian helicopters for Afghanistan, sell 84 state-of-the-art fighter jets to Saudi Arabia (thankfully, they are American made planes), and stand by while the Russians fuel the reactor in Iran. Could it be that our government has decided to change the balance of power in the Middle East by arming the Gulf Cooperation Council of nations (GCC) and Iran? The Middle East has the potential to be the powder keg that could thrust us into another global conflict. A nuclear bomb in the hands of the Iranians is a disaster waiting to happen. One thing is certain: the entire region from the Mediterranean to Pakistan is very volatile and will continue to be volatile for years to come.I admit that I know nothing about helicopters or nuclear plants in Iran. But I do have common sense and the ability to correlate facts. I believe that we will pay for these decisions down the road in ways that we cannot fathom today. If we are going to provide weapons to other countries, I expect the Pentagon to buy American-made goods. We also have to be prepared for the consequences if these weapons are used against us or our allies. More importantly, if our government is intentionally altering the balance of power in the Middle East, there could be another Middle Eastern war. Lest we forget, World War One started with the assignation of Arch Duke Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo. It only takes one event in this volatile region to ignite a global war.© 2010 Gordon Smith - All Rights Reserved