Summary
- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kenya for MD 530 aircraft.
- Kenya will also get logistics support, training and technical assistance, spare parts and field service support.
- Kenya has consistently upgraded its military hardware in recent years, raising its spending on the armed forces to Sh96 billion
The United States government has cleared
the sale of 12 new America-made light attack helicopter gunships to the
Kenyan government as the East African nation continues to build up its
military arsenal in the face of mounting security challenges.
The
US State Department said the deal, which has been approved despite
opposition to an earlier weapons purchase deal Kenya had sought from the
US government, is estimated to be worth $253 million (Sh26.08 billion)
and includes the provision of MD 530F ‘cayuse warrior’ light attack
helicopters, 24 HMP 400 machine gun pod systems, 24 M260 rocket launcher
systems, and assorted ammunition.
The Business Daily
has learned that the US Army Security Assistance Command is now expected
to send Kenya a formal letter of offer and acceptance (LOA).
Kenya must then make a decision whether or not to accept the terms.
The
US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement dated
May 2 that the latest sale will go towards helping Kenya “modernise its
rotorcraft fleet in order to improve border security, undertake
operations against Somali-based jihadist group, Al-Shabaab, and as a
troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).”
“The
State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign
Military Sale to Kenya for MD 530 aircraft. The estimated cost is $253
million. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required
certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 1, 2017,”
the notice said.
The list of equipment to be provided
includes 12 MD-530F weaponised helicopters, 24 heavy machinegun pods, 24
M260 rocket pods, 4,032 M151 high-explosive rockets, 1,536 M274 smoke
rockets, 400,000 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition as well as
communications/navigation equipment.
Kenya will also get logistics support, training and
technical assistance, spare parts and field service support and special
assigned airlift mission (SAAM) flight delivery under the deal.
The helicopter in the proposed sale has been used for a similar mission scope by the Afghan Air Force.
The helicopter in the proposed sale has been used for a similar mission scope by the Afghan Air Force.
The
efficacy of the American-made light attack helicopter gunships has,
however, been recently questioned, according to an interview published
in the New York Times.
The influential publication
quoted Afghanistan’s most decorated pilot, Colonel Qalandar Shah
Qalandari, saying, among other things, that the new helicopters cannot
reach areas where Taliban insurgents operate from since it cannot cross
the mountain ranges that surround Kabul, and that the aircraft is also
dangerous to operate.
“It’s unsafe to fly, the engine
is too weak, the tail rotor is defective and it’s not armoured. If we go
down after the enemy we’re going to have enemy return fire, which we
can’t survive. If we go up higher, we can’t visually target the enemy,”
he said. “Even the guns are no good.”
But in making the
Kenya sale deal public, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency said
the proposed sale will advance Kenya’s efforts to conduct “scout and
attack rotary wing aircraft operations in support of their Amisom
mission.”
The MD 530F will also replace Kenya’s aging
MD500 fleet, which currently constitutes the core of the reconnaissance
equipment supporting the country’s ground forces, the agency added.
“This
sale will significantly enhance the Kenyan Army’s modernisation efforts
and increase interoperability with the US Armed Forces and other
partners in the region,” the agency said, adding that a strong national
defence and dedicated military force will assist Kenya in its efforts
to maintain stability in East Africa.
The principal contractor for the planned sale is identified as MD Helicopters, Mesa, Arizona.
Execution
of the proposed sale will require the assignment of approximately 12
additional contractor representatives for a period of 12 months, it
said.
The notice of a potential sale is required by US law and does not mean the sale has been concluded, it added.
Kenya
has consistently upgraded its military hardware in recent years,
raising its spending on the armed forces to Sh96 billion last year to
stand above those of neighbouring Ethiopia and Uganda combined,
according to a recent global report.
Nairobi
spent $933 million (or nearly Sh100 billion) on its military last year,
a 10.5 per cent growth from $844 million (Sh86.9 billion) in 2015 — a
move that is seen as having the potential to upset the military power
balance in the region.
In February this year Kenya’s
bid to procure $418 million (Sh43.3 billion) worth of weapons from a US
contractor stalled in the face of opposition from a US congressman who
sought to block the deal citing faulty contracting practices, fraud and
unfair treatment surrounding the sale.
US
Congressman Ted Budd urged his colleagues to block and investigate the
deal, claiming a company in his home state would sell Kenya planes
better suited to their envisioned purpose at less than half the quoted
price.
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