U.S. Contracts with Canada for Helicopter Support

(MoneyWatch)  The U.S. Department of Defense contracted with the Government of Canada to provide helicopter support in Afghanistan. RTTNews.com reports on the deal that will have Canada providing three medium lift aircraft for up to five years. The Canadian Commercial Corporation will administer the contract. It has a value of $120 million if all the work is carried out. Helicopters have become key in Afghanistan to carry supplies and troops. More medium and heavy aircraft are required to carry the loads because the high altitudes and temperatures limit the ability of the aircraft to carry payloads. While the U.S. military provides the bulk of the aircraft used by Coalition forces contractors and other NATO countries have also supplied them. In fact several helicopters have been leased from Russian companies to get the requisite lift capacity required.