support Antarctic bases. In September 2010, the Polish Defense Minister announced that his country would buy five new Mi-17s from Russia, to support Polish operations in Afghanistan. All five Mi-17-1Vs were delivered by 2011. In 2011, Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army Abdul Wahab Wardak announced that the US government would buy Mi-17s for use by Afghanistan's troops. He explained the choice of the Russian helicopter over the American Chinook was due to the familiarity of the Afghan technical and pilot staff with the helicopter type and that it is better suited for Afghanistan's environment. The United States continued to purchase the helicopters for Afghanistan in 2013, despite a congressional prohibition. Overall, 63 Mi-17s were acquired through the 2011 contract at a cost of US$16.4 to US$18.4 million each, or US$4 to US$6 million more each than a refurbished American Chinook. China signed two contracts with Rosoboronexport in 2009 and 2012 for 32 and 52 Mi-171E, respectively. In 2014 and 2015, Bangladesh ordered a total of 11 Mi-171Sh helicopters. 5 more ordered in 2017. The Helicopters of Russia has concluded a contract with the Defense Ministry of Belarus for the supply of twelve Mi-8MTV-5 military transport helicopters in 2016–2017. The Belarusian military will get the helicopters possessing the same parameters as those used by the Russian military. The contract was executed in April 2017. In the course of the Army-2017 International Military Technical Forum signed a contract to supply two Mi-171Sh helicopters to Burkina Faso. Also signed a contract for the supply of helicopters to Russian state special purpose aviation. Three Mi-8AMTSh military transport helicopters were produced and three more were ordered later. Royal Thai Army ordered 2 Mi-17V-5s in September 2017 which received in December 2018 plus 3 more received in March 2021 for a total of 10 delivered since 2011. RF National Guard ordered two Mi-8AMTSHs in April 2018. During the Hydroaviasalon-2018 exhibition, subsidiaries of Rostec State Corporation – Russian Helicopters, National Service of Medical Aviation and Avia Capital Services LLC – signed a contract to supply 104 Ansat and 46 Mi-8AMT medically equipped helicopters. Russia supplied seven Mi-35 and three Mi-17 helicopters to Serbia. A contract was signed on 18 January 2019 between Russian Helicopters, Kazakhstan Engineering, and Kazakh firm Aircraft Repair Plant No 405 (ARP 405) that will see 45 kit versions of the Mil Mi-8AMT and Mi-171 helicopters delivered to Kazakhstan until 2025