releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140623003122/http://meehan.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=682
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20140623003122/http://meehan.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=682 | Meehan, Lawmakers Seek Answers on DOD Helicopter Buy - Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) and a bipartisan group of legislators | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | PA | Pat Meehan | M001181 | web.archive.org | legacy | Meehan, Lawmakers Seek Answers on DOD Helicopter Buy WASHINGTON, DC– Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) and a bipartisan group of legislators who represent workers at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Ridley Park, PA today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel seeking answers on the Defense Department’s decision to purchase Russian-built helicopters to equip Afghan security forces. A recent Associated Press article indicates the Department made the decision to purchase Russian Mi-17 “Hip” helicopters despite an internal report that concluded the CH-47 Chinook was “the most cost-effective” helicopter for Afghan forces. Meehan was joined by Reps. John Carney (DE-AL), Robert Brady (PA-1), Jim Gerlach (PA-6), Chaka Fattah (PA-2) and Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) in sending the letter. “As lawmakers who represent the workers who make the CH-47 Chinook at the Boeing Facility located in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, we respectfully request clarification on the allegations that the Pentagon overruled a recommendation to buy an American-made aircraft,” the letter said. A signed copy of the letter is available here.The full text of the letter is below: December 19, 2013 The Honorable Charles T. Hagel Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301 Dear Secretary Hagel, We are writing to you regarding a December 7 Associated Press article on the Department of Defense’s purchase of Russian Mi-17 helicopters. The article, entitled “Did the Pentagon mislead Congress over purchase of Russian Mi-17s for Afghanistan,” cites senior Pentagon officials assuring Congress that the Russian-made helicopters were the “superior choice” for outfitting the Afghan security forces. According to a 2010 Department of Defense internal study, however, the U.S. Army’s Chinook was found to be “the most cost-effective single platform type fleet for the Afghan Air Force over a twenty year period.” If this study is correct, why was the Chinook not chosen as the aircraft for the Afghan security forces? Furthermore, the article also indicates that the recommendation for the Chinook may have been overruled by high ranking Department of Defense officials. As lawmakers who represent the workers who make the CH-47 Chinook at the Boeing Facility located in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, we respectfully request clarification on the allegations that the Pentagon overruled a recommendation to buy an American-made aircraft. We ask that you please provide a detailed response, as well as a briefing on Capitol Hill in January, on these important issues to our constituents. Thank you for your consideration with regards to this request. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Patrick Meehan Chaka Fattah Robert Brady John Carney Allyson Schwartz Jim Gerlach | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |