The government will support the development of new helicopters in Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

"It's an extremely important task. Of course, the government will support it," the government's press service quoted Azarov as saying on Tuesday during the presentation of the modernized Ukrainian Mi-8MSB and Mi-2MSB multipurpose helicopters at Kyiv Civil Aviation Plant 410.

Azarov noted the importance of re-equipping the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the upgraded Mi-8MSBs and Mi-2MSBs at this stage, adding that these helicopters could be used "for at least 15 years."

He said that over this period Ukrainian aircraft designers would replace them with new helicopters.

Mi-8MSBs and Mi-2MSBs are the Ukrainian versions of Soviet Mi-8T and Mi-2 multipurpose helicopters, which are being modernized by PJSC Motor Sich (Zaporizhia).