KATHMANDU: The United States will provide the Nepali Army with an air ambulance and one M28 Sky Truck aircraft under its foreign military assistance program, military sources said on Tuesday.

The handover is scheduled for August 30, with the aircraft to arrive in Nepal from Poland. The M28, manufactured by Lockheed Martin’s Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL), is part of a U.S. commitment to boost Nepal’s airlift and disaster-response capacity.

Nepal previously received two M28s in December 2020 under the same program. The U.S. Embassy has notified Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Army Aviation Directorate confirmed to Nepal News about receipt of the delivery letter.

The aircraft will be used for medical evacuation, cargo transport, paratroop jumps and VIP flights, the Nepali Army informed.

The grant package also includes spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, and support for modern maintenance systems. U.S. officials said additional aircraft and training are planned, though promised helicopters have been delayed.

Military cooperation between Nepal and the United States has expanded since Land Force Talks began in 2016, despite domestic debate over whether foreign military aid undermines Nepal’s sovereignty.