Nepal’s Strategic Shift in Military Aid Negotiations
Nepal is currently reevaluating its approach to military aid from the United States, moving away from the initial proposal of receiving six helicopters under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. Instead, the government is seeking alternative support that better aligns with its current needs and priorities.
During a visit to Nepal in August 2024, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R Verma announced a $100 million (Rs15 billion) initiative aimed at enhancing Nepal’s rotary-wing capabilities. At the time, this funding was still under Congressional review, making its availability uncertain. Following approval, the US Embassy in Kathmandu proposed providing helicopter support to Nepal, as reported by multiple government officials.
The US Embassy communicated its intention to supply six helicopters equipped with rotary-wing capabilities. These included specialized drones for aerial firefighting, rapid crew insertion, and night operations. However, after extensive discussions involving the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Nepali Army, a counter-proposal was submitted to the US side.
“Helicopters are not our priority at present,” said an anonymous foreign ministry official. “We need aircraft—often referred to as aerial cranes or heavy-lift helicopters—to transport construction materials in remote areas of the country.”
The focus on heavy-lift construction helicopters stems from the need to move large items such as steel beams, concrete, wood, and HVAC units. The counter-proposal seeks these types of helicopters instead of the initially offered models.
Despite repeated discussions with the Defence Ministry and the army headquarters, the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Ashok Sigdel, has engaged with ministers and secretaries to find a middle ground. This effort is part of the broader strategy to balance major powers and neighbours while maintaining national security.
Other factors influencing Nepal’s decision include the high costs associated with maintaining, fueling, and procuring spare parts for the helicopters, as well as training requirements.
“We will soon communicate with the US side about our requirements and priorities within the limit of $100 million support it has announced,” stated the foreign ministry official.
However, Defence Ministry officials claim they were unaware of the alternative proposal. Manoj Kumar Acharya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, mentioned only being aware of the correspondence between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nepali Army, and the US Embassy.
Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet, the US Embassy’s spokesperson, also confirmed that the support comes from the government but noted the army was unaware of it.
The proposal to provide six helicopters is in addition to five previously announced by the US. In August 2023, the US delivered two new M28 Skytrucks to the Nepali Army through a $37 million FMF grant, expanding Nepal’s fleet to five. The US had already provided two Skytrucks in 2019, with Nepal purchasing one more. Two additional helicopters were delivered in September 2023.
Alongside the Skytrucks, the US had proposed supporting the Nepali Army with one Bell helicopter. However, this delivery is expected to occur no earlier than 2027, according to multiple government officials.
During Verma’s visit in August 2024, the US embassy also revealed plans to assist the Nepali Army in acquiring helicopters for disaster response. Earlier, during then army chief Prabhu Ram Sharma’s visit to the US in 2022, the Nepali Army requested support for two rotary-wing aircraft. These small drones are capable of vertical take-off and landing, autonomous hovering, slow cruising, and have higher payload capacity compared to fixed-wing aircraft.
Verma confirmed that the US is providing two additional Bell helicopters to support Nepal’s disaster response capabilities. Before this, the Nepali Army had planned to procure two helicopters from Russia, but the US quickly offered two Bell helicopters instead.
