#Laos Receives Four Russian Mi-17 Helicopters

Russian Helicopters, part of the Rostec State Corporation, has completed its first service contract to the Lao Ministry of Defence, transferring four repaired Mi-17 helicopters at an official handover ceremony on Wednesday.

The ceremony was held at the Vientiane air base and was presided over by Lao Deputy Minister of Defence, Phouvong Vongphom, who inspected the helicopters.

A crew from the Lao Air Force made a demonstration flight in the repaired helicopter during the event.

“We prepared an offer to repair another batch of Mi-17 type helicopters at the request of the Lao party. I hope the decision will be made shortly,” said CEO of Russian Helicopters, Andrei Boginsky.

The two sides held talks on supplies of new aircraft and continuation of cooperation in service and maintenance of earlier deliveries.

The Lao aircraft fleet includes over 20 civil and military helicopters. Laos operates Ka-32T helicopters in addition to the Mi-8/17 type.

Source -Laotian Times

China opens first overseas military base in Africa

China has officially opened its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, state media said Tuesday, a major step for the country's expansion of its military presence abroad.

Chinese military personnel, officials and guests attended a flag-raising ceremony and military parade to mark the occasion, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The event was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of China's military, the People's Liberation Army, on August 1.

Officers and troops paraded for an audience that included Djibouti's defence minister, Xinhua said. 

The logistics base is the first of its kind for Beijing, which will use it to support "naval escorts in Africa and southwest Asia, (UN) peacekeeping and for humanitarian support," according to a previous China defence ministry statement.

China sent its first deployment of troops to the facility on July 11, marking the occasion with a ceremony in the southern province of Guangdong.

China has described the base as "defensive in nature", saying it will provide support for naval escorts, UN peacekeeping, anti-piracy and evacuating Chinese nationals from the region in case of emergency.

The Chinese navy has long assisted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden, as well as UN peacekeeping efforts throughout Africa.

China started building the base in February 2016 in the entrepot on the Horn of Africa, where it will be stationed just a few miles from Camp Lemonnier, the United States' only permanent base in Africa.

Beijing has made extensive infrastructure investments throughout the African continent as it seeks to gain access to natural resources and new markets.

Chinese banks have been major funders of at least 14 such projects in Djibouti, valued at 14.4 billion dollars in total, including a railway line that will halve transit times from Djibouti to Ethiopia's Addis Ababa.

Home to only around 800,000 people, Djibouti also hosts troops from France and Japan.

Source - TheJakartaPost

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