Within days after Mexico canceled a $1.4 billion order for U.S. helicopters, Moscow swooped in for the sale.
Mexico’s president-elect, Andres Mannuel Lopez Obrador, said the eight Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, intended for the Mexican Navy, were too expensive.
But Sputnik News, the Russian news site always lavish in praise of Russian weapons, helpfully offered some advice. “Are there more affordable alternatives with similar capabilities out there?” Sputnik asked, noting that the Mexican Navy already operates Mi-17 transport helicopters.
Can you guess what’s coming?
“Sikorsky and its parent company Lockheed Martin isn’t the only game in town as far as naval helicopters go,” Sputnik wrote last week. “Russia’s naval workhorse, the Ka-27, has comparable capabilities, and would likely to be much cheaper, if it were made available.”