The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia are trying to jointly launch a program to upgrade their Mi-24 Hind helicopters to something that could work within NATO. While each country uses slightly different versions of the Hind, the aircraft will have at least 70% common components. The idea of a combined package is to get a better deal on the elements of the upgrade, but there are numerous problems. Hungary put the money for its share of the deal in its 2004 budget, not 2003 as the others had agreed. Slovakia is not a member of NATO and might not be able to get some of the components. All four countries use very different bidding and contracting procedures. Only Poland will include the ability to mount a new type of Western anti-tank missile; the others will continue to use leftover Soviet missiles. Estimates of the number of aircraft to be converted include 24 for the Czechs, 28-32 for Hungary, 40 for Poland, and 10-12 for Slovakia.--Stephen V Cole