Agence France-Presse, The NATO military alliance is so short of helicopters in insurgency-hit Afghanistan that it is now thinking about leasing some, a spokesman conceded Oct. 3.
“We need helicopters everywhere and one of the options being studied is leasing contracts,” spokesman James Appathurai told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
He said that NATO already had such agreements for fixed wing transport aircraft — another area in which there is a shortage — “with our Ukrainian and Russian friends, which is working well.”
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has constantly appealed for countries taking part to come up with helicopters, mainly for medical evacuations and transport but also for troop support.
A NATO diplomat said it was a question of “leasing dozens of helicopters.” Appathurai said that ISAF has launched a military mission dubbed Operation Pamir, in and around Kabul as well as in east, south and west Afghanistan, which is likely to last a number of months.
That would make such air support all the more important for the roughly 40,000 personnel from 37 nations which make up ISAF, particularly Britain, Canada and the Netherlands whose troops fight in the restive South and East.
