Estonian Air Force walks away from transport planes offered by US
The Estonian Air Force (EAF) has decided not to accept two Sherpa C-23B+ military transport planes offered by the US and is considering alternative options.
A spokesman for the EAF told BNS that although the purchase price of the aircraft would have been symbolic in nature, analysis showed that the planes would have been too expensive to maintain.
The Estonian Defence Forces had announced at the end of 2014 that in 2015, the Estonian Air Force would take into service two light military aircraft Sherpa C-23B+ to be purchased from the US, replacing the Antonov An-2 planes in use by the EAF at the time.
EAF spokespeople told BNS in July 2015 that the sale and purchase agreement was slated to be signed "within a couple of weeks" and that the planes were expected to be delivered to Estonia in 2016.
The two Sherpa C-23B+-s were originally built by British aerospace company Short Brothers, now a division of Bombardier Aerospace. The US armed forces have been using Sherpa C-23B+-type planes since 1985.
Editor: Editor: Aili Sarapik
Source: BNS