The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is to lease around 20
commercial helicopters for its operations in Afghanistan so that the alliance's
own aircraft can focus on combat, NATO officials said yesterday.
"We need to do more in relation to the in-theater lift -- helicopters and
tactical transport aircraft which can help to give mobility to our forces," a
NATO official said on condition of anonymity Monday.
The helicopters would be used to transport supplies, such as equipment and
ammunition, so that NATO's own helicopters can be relieved for the
transportation of personnel, a senior U.S. official said.
Both officials said the deal is in the final stages of approval by NATO
allies.
Although the leasing of helicopters has been a practice of the United States,
it is exceptional for NATO, said the U.S. official.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to push allies for additional
troops and equipment for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan at this week's informal meeting of NATO defense ministers
in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
A global force generation conference for Afghanistan has also been scheduled
for November at NATO's military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, said the NATO
official.
NATO allies are finding themselves increasingly overstretched with troop
deployments in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and Lebanon.
