ANKARA, December 22 (RIA Novosti) - Turkey plans to buy 32 used Mi-28 (Havoc) helicopters from Russia in a deal worth a total of $1 billion, a national Turkish daily reported on Monday.
Vatan said the decision to buy helicopters from Russia was made after talks for purchases of Cobra and Super Cobra helicopter gunships failed with the United States.
Russian helicopters will tide Turkey over until deliveries of Agusta A-129 Mangusta helicopters, co-produced with Italy's Agusta Westland, are received by the Turkish Armed Forces. The Italian company won a tender for the production of 52 helicopters in 2007.
The Turkish Defense Ministry has yet to officially confirm the report by Vatan.
The Mi-28 is an all-weather day-night attack helicopter manufactured by the Rostvertol plant in southern Russia.
