A contract for 15 Russian-made helicopters to be donated to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) was frozen by U.S. officials after they learned that the company who made the helicopters had also supplied arms to the Syrian government.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been engaged in two-year bloody crackdown against rebels who took up arms against his repressive regime on the wings of the Arab Spring in 2011. The U.S. and its allies have done just about everything but intervene militarily, straining relations with pro-Assad countries like Russia.

According to Senator John Cornyn, who has fought for the U.S. Department of Defense to stop purchasing Russian weaponry for the Afghan forces for a number of months, the decision was finally made when it came to light that the same company that produced the Mi-17 helicopters had recently supplied weapons to Assad's army.

The contract now on hold was reportedly valued at 345 million USD, and was going to supply the Afghan Air Force (AAF) with 15 new Mi-17 helicopters at the start of 2014, a much needed boost to its meager fleet.

The announcement came only days after a U.S. Defense Department report was released indicating officials were concerned about the Afghan forces' ability to provide adequate air-support that is critical for ground operations around the country.

"This suspension of the contract means Afghanistan will face challenges in developing an independent air force," said former Afghan Deputy Minister of Defense General Atiqullah Baryalai.
The former MoD official tried to explain the decision from the U.S.' perspective.

"The first factor is military trade relations between Russia and the United States. These kind of deals have always faced challenges from their congress," Baryalai said. "The second factor is the economic crisis – the U.S. congress pushes the Pentagon to purchase equipment from American companies."

No matter the justification for the decision, however, the implications for the Afghan forces is the same.

As the NATO coalition continues to drawdown in the lead up to its full withdraw in December of 2014, Afghan forces are assuming greater responsibilities for maintaining security and combating the Taliban insurgency around the country. Although coalition forces have been able to supply critical air-support this year, it is not much longer before the Afghan forces will be effectively on their own.

When that day comes, they will need their own helicopters, regardless of who made them.