Russian Army To Have New Helicopters

Novosti ^ | March 31 2004

[knighthawk]

ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 31, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - The Russian army will be equipped with new helicopters, Mi-28N, called Night Hunter, in two years, President Putin's adviser Alexander Burutin has said. He arrived in Rostov-on-Don, Southern Russia, on Wednesday, to participate in the helicopter's tests at the local Rosvertol plant.

According to the adviser, Night Hunter, which began to be developed in 1993, will come to replace the Mi-24 helicopter called "a flying tank".

The new helicopter will have a completely new integrated complex of onboard equipment created by Russian experts. Today this is the only helicopter in the world that can fly in an autopilot regime both in daytime and at night at a low height (from five metres), regardless of the relief, the presidential adviser said.

He pointed out that a radar unit with circular scanning included in the onboard equipment allowed the helicopter not only to spot targets but also to solve navigation tasks, which the radars of the US Apachi helicopter cannot do.

The Russian Night Hunter will be fitted out with the most up-to-date powerful equipment. It will include high-precision guided Ataka (assault) missile, which can hit tanks with the most dynamic shell protection, a supersonic air-to-air guided missile Igla, and a gun of the 3-mm calibre. According to Mr. Burutin, the crew of the helicopter will be well protected: the cockpit is fully armoured, and its glass can sustain bullets of the 12.7 mm calibre.

Mr. Putin's adviser said that Russia was developing at least three new models of attack helicopters.

In his words, the state defense order has increased by 20% this year as compared to last year. "Today we can speak about the suspension of the economic crisis and revival of the defence sector," said the presidential adviser.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[antiRepublicrat]

IIRC, the Mi-24 was such a pig that in hard maneuvers it could hit its own tail with the main rotor. Definitely time for an upgrade.

[TXBSAFH]

In other words they finally managed to create something comparable to an apache. It only took them 20 years.

[RightWhale]

a gun of the 3-mm calibre

To shoot squirrels out of trees. From close range.

[finnman69]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mi-28.htm

The Mi-28 Havoc is a new-generation attack helicopter that functions as an air-to-air and air-to-ground partner for the Mi-24 Hind and Ka-50 Hokum. The five-blade main rotor is mounted above the body midsection, and short, wide, tapered, weapon-carrying wings are mounted to the rear of body midsection. Two turboshaft engines in pods are mounted alongside the top of the fuselage with downturned exhausts. The fuselage is slender and tapers to the tail boom and nose. It features a tandem, stepped-up cockpits and a cannon mounted beneath the belly, with fixed landing gear. The tapering tail boom with a swept-back fin has a flat high-mounted on the fin and a rotor mounted on right.

Modernization of Mi-24 helicopters is underway, and as of early 2004 eight modernized Mi-24 had been adopted in the army aviation.

The Mi-28N and Kamov Ka-50 were in a competion to fulfil the Russian Army Aviation requirement for a night-capable anti-tank helicopter, a replacement to the Mi-24 created 25 years ago. The Mi-28N is based on the Mi-28A, a daylight helicopter first flown in December 1982. In comparison with the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the 10,5-ton Mi-28N is some 2.5 tons heavier, partly due to its more powerful cannon. In general the two helicopters have similar flight performance. Two Klimov TV-3-117 engines of 2,200 hp each allow the Russian aircraft to show a maximum level speed of 300 km/h and maximum climb at sea-level of 13.6 meters per second.

As of early 2004 Russia's Air Force was expected to purchase 50 new Mi-28N shock helicopters by 2010. Test of the helicopter is to start in two months; Mi-28N is to become the basic military helicopter of the Russian army aviation.

[finnman69]

[TLI]

pix and info

http://www.aeronautics.ru/img001/mi2802.jpg

http://www.aeronautics.ru/nws002/attack-helicopters-comparison.htm

[RightWhale]

What's the deal with the engine inlet covers?

[Condor51]

I searched and searched and believe I found this picture of it: Mi-28N

[Bon mots]

They should really feed their soldiers first.

[Renfield]

In that mi2802.jpg, the helicopter bears a surprising resemblence to Richard Nixon...the cheeks, the nose, it's all there.

[CholeraJoe]

Why, it looks just like an Apache Longbow - only Russian. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[ericthecurdog]

You would rather it ingest FOD?

[finnman69]

or Pluto...

[TLI]

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[SolutionsOnly]

***"can fly in an autopilot regime both in daytime and at night at a low height (from five metres)"***

Five meters? Power lines and flagpoles are gonna be a bummer.

[RightWhale]

Do OUR helicopters have streamlined built-in engine inlet covers?

[klpt]

[klpt]