| Mi-24 | |
|---|---|
 Mil Mi-24D | |
| Type | Attack helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Mil |
| Maiden flight | 1969 |
| Introduced | 1972 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | Russian Air Force ca. 50 other users |
| Number built | 2000 (estimated) |
| Developed from | Mil Mi-8 |
| Variants | Mil Mi-28 |
The Mil Mi-24 (Cyrillic Миль Ми-24, NATO reporting name "Hind") is a large helicopter gunship and low-capacity troop transport produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated from 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and over thirty other nations.
In NATO circles the export versions, Mi-25 and Mi-35, are simply denoted with a letter suffix as "Hind D" and "Hind E" respectively. Soviet pilots called the aircraft "letayushiy tank" (flying tank). Another common nickname is "krokodil" (crocodile), due to the helicopter's camouflage and fuselage shape.[1]
[edit] Development
During the early 1960s it became apparent to Soviet designer Mikhail Leont'yevich Mil the trend towards ever increasing battlefield mobility would result in the creation of flying infantry fighting vehicles, which could be used to perform both fire support missions and transport infantry. The first expression of this concept was a mock-up unveiled in 1966 in the experimental shop of the Ministry of Aircraft's factory number 329 at which Mil was head designer. The mock-up designated V-24 was based on another project, the V-22 utility helicopter which itself never flew. The V-24 was similar in layout and configuration to the UH-1A Huey with a central infantry compartment that could hold eight troops sitting back to back, and a set of small wings positioned to the top rear of the passenger cabin, capable of holding up to six missiles or rockets, with a twin barreled GSh-23L cannon fixed to the landing skid.
Mil proposed the design to the heads of the Soviet armed forces and while he had the support of a number strategists of the armed forces, he was opposed by a number of the more senior members of the armed forces who believed that conventional weapons were a better use of resources. Despite the opposition, Mil managed to persuade the defence minister's first deputy, Marshal Andrey A. Grechko, to convene an expert panel to look into the matter. While the panels opinions were mixed, supporters of the project eventually held sway, and a request for proposals for the design of a battlefield support helicopter was issued.
Mil engineers prepared two basic designs, a 7 ton single engine design and a 10.5 ton twin engine design both based around the 1,700 hp Izotov TV3-177A turboshaft. Later three complete mockups were produced along with five mockups of just the cockpit area to allow the positions of the pilot and the weapon station operator to be fine tuned.
The Kamov bureau suggested an army version of their Ka-25 Hormone ASW helicopter as a low cost option. This was considered but later dropped in favor of the new Mil twin engine design. A number of changes were made at the insistence of the military, including the replacement of the 23 mm cannon with a rapid fire heavy machine gun mounted in a chin turret, and the use of the then under development 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) anti-tank missile.
A directive was issued on 6 May 1968 to proceed with development of the twin engine design. Work proceeded under Mil until his death in 1970. Detailed design work began in August 1968 under the codename Yellow 24. A full scale mockup of the design was reviewed and approved in February 1969. Flight tests with a prototype began on 15 September 1969 with a tethered hover, four days later the first free flight was conducted. A second prototype was built, followed by a test batch of ten helicopters.
Acceptance testing for the design began in June 1970 continuing for 18 months. Changes made in the design addressed structural strength and fatigue problems, and reduced vibration levels. Also, a 12 degree anhedral was introduced to the wings to address the aircraft's tendency to Dutch roll at speeds in excess of 200 km/h, and the Falanga missile pylons were moved from the fuselage to the wingtips. This gave the helicopter its characteristic wings. The tail rotor was moved from the right to the left side of the tail, and the rotation direction reversed. The tail rotor now rotated up on the side towards the front of the aircraft, into the downwash of the rotor, which increased efficency of the tail rotor. A number of other design changes were made until the production version Mi-24A (izdeliye 245) entered production in 1970 and obtaining its IOC in 1971. It was officially accepted into the state arsenal in 1972.[2]
[edit] Recent developments
In October 2007, defense-aerospace.com reported the government of Saudi Arabia signed a contract for up to 150 Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters worth $2.2 billion.[3]
In October 2007, the Russian Air Force announced it will replace its 250 Mi-24 helicopter gunships with 300 more recent Mi-28s by 2015.[4][5]
[edit] Design
The core of the aircraft was taken from the Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name "Hip"), two top mounted turboshaft engines driving a mid-mounted 17.3 m five-blade main rotor and a three blade tail rotor. The engine positions give the aircraft its distinctive double air intake. The original versions have an angular greenhouse-style cockpit. Model D and later include a characteristic tandem cockpit with a "double bubble" canopy. Other airframe components came from the Mi-14 "Haze". Weapon hardpoints are provided by two mid-mounted stub wings (which also provide lift), each offering three stations. The load-out mix is mission dependent; they can be tasked with close air support, anti-tank operations, or aerial combat. The body is heavily armored and the titanium rotor blades can resist impacts from .50 caliber (12.7 mm) rounds. The cockpit is overpressurized to protect the crew in NBC conditions. The craft uses a retractable tricycle undercarriage. As a combination gunship and troop transport, the Mi-24 has no direct NATO counterpart.
Considerable attention was given to making the Mi-24 fast. The airframe was streamlined, and fitted with retractable landing gear to reduce drag. The wings provide considerable lift at high speed, up to a quarter of total lift. The main rotor was tilted 2.5° to the right from the fuselage to counteract dissymmetry of lift at high speed and provide a more stable firing platform. The landing gear was also tilted to the left to compensate, so when on the ground the rotor would still be level. This makes the rest of the airframe tilt to the left when on level ground. The tail was also asymmetrical to give a side force at speed, thus unloading the tail rotor.[2]
While some have compared the UH-1 ("Huey") as NATO's direct counterpart to the Mi-24, the helicopter that created the concept of a troop carrying gunship, this is not true. While UH-1s were used in Vietnam to ferry troops, and were used as gunships, they were not able to do both at the same time. For a UH-1 to be a gunship, the entire passenger area of the helicopter would be stripped to accommodate extra fuel and ammunition, making it useless for troop transport. The Mi-24 can do both, and this was greatly exploited by airborne units of the Soviet Army during the 1980-1989 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
[edit] Operational history
[edit] Ogaden War (1977-1978)
The first use of the Mi-24 in combat was with the Ethiopian forces during the Ogaden War against the Somalis. The helicopters formed part of a massive airlift of military equipment from the Soviet Union, after the Soviets switched sides towards the end of 1977. The helicopters were instrumental in the combined air and ground assault that expelled Somali forces from Ethiopia by the beginning of 1978.[6]
[edit] Cambodian-Vietnamese War (1978)
The Mi-24 saw extensive use of Mi-24A by the Vietnam People's Air Force in the Cambodian-Vietnamese War. The gunships destroyed many Khmer Rouge bases and outposts up until 1986 when KR forces were driven to the border of Thailand.
[edit] Chadian-Libyan conflict (1978-1987)
The Libyan airforce actively used Mi-24As and Mi-25s during their many interventions in Chad's civil war.[2] The Hinds were first used in October 1980 in the battle of N'Djamena were they helped the People's Armed Forces seize the capital.
In March 1987 the Armed Forces of the North, which were backed by the USA and France, managed to seize a Libyan airforce base at Ouadi-Doum in Northern Chad. Among the aircraft captured during this raid were three Mi-25s. These were turned over to France, who in turn sent one to the United Kingdom and one to the USA.[2]
[edit] Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-1989)
The aircraft was operated extensively during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, mainly for bombing Mujahideen fighters. The US supplied heat-seeking Stinger missiles to the Mujahideen, and the Soviet Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters proved to be favorite targets of the rebels.
[edit] First deployment
Hinds were supplied to the Afghan government in April 1979 to deal with Mujahideen guerrillas.[7] The Afghan pilots were well-trained and made effective use of their machines, but the Mujahideen were not soft targets. They shot down the first Hind to be lost in action on 30 May 1979.
The situation in Afghanistan grew worse and on 25 December 1979 Soviet troops were committed to the war, an action that would prove a major blunder. The Red Army found itself involved in a guerrilla war in a country where the rugged terrain favored the locals, who were enthusiastic, competent, and thoroughly determined fighters. The Hind seemed like an excellent weapon to help deal with the Mujahideen. Soviet field commanders requested all the Hinds they could get.
[edit] Early combat experience
After a nasty learning curve at the hands of the Afghan rebels, Hind pilots learned to be dangerous and cruel themselves, and the rebels called the Hind "Shaitan-Arba" (Satan's Chariot)".[7] In one case, a Hind pilot managed to rescue a company of infantry even when he was out of ammunition simply by maneuvering aggressively at the Mujahideen and scaring them off. The Hind was popular with ground troops, since it could stay on the battlefield and provide fire as needed, while "fast mover" strike jets could only stay for a short time before they would have to head back to base to refuel.
The Hind's favored munition was the 80mm (3.15 in) S-8 rocket, the 57mm (2.24 in) S-5 having proven too light to be effective. The 23 mm (0.98 in) gun pod was also popular. The Hind could carry ten 100 kilogram (220 pound) iron bombs for attacks on strongpoints, while harder targets could be dealt with using a load of four 250 kilogram (550 pound) or two 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) iron bombs. Some Hind crews became expert "snipers" in dropping or tossing bombs precisely on targets. Fuel-air explosive bombs were also used in a few instances, though initially crews underestimated the sheer blast force of such weapons and were caught by shockwaves that rattled their teeth.
Combat experience quickly demonstrated that carrying a squad of troops in a Hind wasn't a good idea. The gunship crews found the soldiers a concern and a distraction while being shot at, and preferred to fly lightly loaded anyway, all the more so because they operated from high ground altitudes in Afghanistan. Hind troop compartment armor was often deleted to reduce weight. Troops were carried in Mi-8 helicopters, with the Hinds providing fire support.
It did prove useful to carry a technician in the Hind's crew compartment, handling a light machine gun in a window port. This gave the Hind some ability to "watch its back" while exiting a target area. In some cases a light machine gun was fitted on both sides to allow the technician to move from one side to the other without having to take the machine gun with him. Trying to shift a machine gun from one side of a helicopter to another while maneuvering under fire was not merely clumsy and inconvenient, it was an invitation to deadly accidents.
This weapons fit still left the gunship blind to the direct rear, and Mil experimented with fitting a machine gun in the back of the fuselage, with the gunner reaching the gun through a narrow crawlway. The experiment was very unsuccessful, since the space was full of engine exhaust fumes and otherwise unbearable, and during a demonstration an overweight Soviet general got stuck in the crawlway. Operational Hinds were retrofitted with rear-view mirrors to help the pilot spot threats and take evasive action.
The Hinds not only protected helicopter troop assaults and supported ground actions, they also protected convoys, using rockets with flechette warheads to drive off Mujahideen ambushes; performed strikes on predesignated targets; and engaged in "hunter-killer" sweeps. The hunter-killers operated in pairs at minimum, more often groups of four or eight, to provide mutual fire support. They used tactics developed during the Second World War against Germany, such as the "Wheel of Death", with the gunships turning in a wide circle to ensure that one was always chewing up the target area. The Mujahideen learned to move mostly at night to avoid the gunships, and in response the Soviets trained their Hind crews in night-fighting, dropping parachute flares to illuminate suspicious targets for attack. The Mujahideen quickly caught on and scattered as quickly as possible when Soviet target designation flares were lit nearby.
[edit] High attrition rates
Gunship attrition rates were high.[7] The environment itself was rough on the machines, since it was dusty and often hot; the dustiness led to the development of the PZU air intake filters. Of course, the rebels fought back whenever they could. Their primary air-defense weapons early in the war were heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft cannon, though they found anything smaller than a 23 millimeter gun generally did not do much more than annoy a Hind. The cockpit was heavily armoured and could withstand even .50 in (12.7mm) rounds, but the tail is extremely vulnerable to even small arms fire due to its lack of armour.
Then CIA began to supply the rebels with Stinger shoulder-launched, heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and the situation got considerably worse. The heat-seeking nature of the Stinger combined with the Mi-24's exhaust being directly under the main rotor caused the aircraft to disintegrate if hit. This was remedied later by countermeasure flares and a missile warning system being installed into all Soviet Mi-4, Mi-8, and Mi-24 helicopters giving the pilot a chance to evade the missile or crash-land. Heat-dissipators were also fitted to exhausts to decrease the Hind's heat signature. These alleviated but did not eliminate the Stinger threat.
Hinds were also used to shield jet transports flying in and out of Kabul from Stingers. The gunships carried flares to blind the missiles, and were under orders to try to take the hit from the missile themselves if worse came to worst. The crews called themselves "Mandatory Matrosovs", after a hero of the Second World War who threw himself across a German machine gun to let his comrades break through.
[edit] The Hind crews
Hind crews led a rough life in general. They carried AK-74s with collapsible stocks to give them a better chance of survival if forced down.[7]
In such a kill-or-be-killed environment, Hind crews acquired a certain edge. Early in the war, head of Mil Marat Timoschenko had visited Afghanistan to see what the troops thought of his helicopters, and gunship crews put on spectacular displays for him. They even demonstrated maneuvers, such as barrel rolls, design engineers considered impossible. An astounded Dr. Timoschenko had to comment, "I thought I knew what my helicopters could do, now I'm not so sure!".
[edit] End of Soviet involvement in Afghanistan
One Mi-24 was shot down on the night of 2 February 1989, with both crewmen killed. It was the last Hind of Soviet helicopters lost in almost ten years of war.
[edit] Hinds in Afghanistan post Soviet withdrawal
Hinds were also passed on to pro-Soviet Afghan forces during the war, and remained in dwindling service in the grinding civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal.[7] Some were flown by defectors to Pakistan and a few of these machines apparently found their way into the hands of the US Army.
Afghan Hinds in the hands of the ascendant Taliban gradually became inoperable, but a few flown by the Northern Alliance, which had Russian assistance and access to spares, remained operational up to the US intervention in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001. In 2008, the Afghan National Air Corps took delivery of six refurbished Mi-35 Hind helicopters, bought from the Czech Republic with US money. They are due to begin live firing exercises in May, so they can escort Mi-17 transport helicopters on operations in restive parts of the country.
[edit] Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
The Mi-25 saw considerable use by the Iraqi Army during the long war with their neighbour, Iran.[8] Its heavy armament was a key factor in causing severe damage to Iranian ground forces. However, the Hinds lacked an effective anti-tank capability, as they were only armed with obsolete 9M17 Skorpion missiles. This led the Iraqis to develop new gunship tactics, with help from East German advisors. The Mi-25s would form "hunter-killer" teams with French-built Aérospatiale Gazelles, with the Hinds leading the attack and using their massive firepower to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the Gazelles using their HOT missiles to engage armoured fighting vehicles. These tactics proved effective in halting Iranian offensives such as Operation Ramadan, in July 1982.[9]
This war also saw the only confirmed air-to-air helicopter battles in history with the Iraqi Mi-25s flying against Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras (supplied by the United States before the revolution) on many separate occasions. Not long after the beginning of the war with Iraq's invasion of Iran on 22 September 1980, two Iranian SeaCobras crept up on two Hinds and hit them with TOW wire-guided antitank missiles. [10] One Mi-25 went down immediately, the other was badly damaged and crashed before reaching base. The Iranians pulled off a repeat performance on 24 April 1981, destroying two Mi-25s without loss to themselves.
Then the Iraqis hit back, claiming the destruction of a SeaCobra on 14 September 1983; three SeaCobras on 5 February 1984; and three more on 25 February 1984. Things went quiet for a time, and then on 13 February 1986 each side lost a gunship. A few days later, on 16 February, a Mi-25 shot down a SeaCobra, with a SeaCobra claiming a Hind in return on 18 February. The last engagement between the two types was on 22 May 1986, when the Hinds shot down a SeaCobra.
The score in the end was 10 kills on SeaCobras and 6 kills on Mi-25s. The relatively small numbers and the inevitable disputes over actual kill numbers makes it unclear if one gunship had a real technical superiority over the other. It appears the outcome of the fights was dependent more on the tactical situation and pilot skill than the inherent merits of each machine. Iraqi Hinds also claimed a total of 43 kills against other Iranian helicopters, such as Agusta-Bell Hueys.[10] However, these findings are disputed,[11] and it is suggested, "Iranian AH-1Js engaged Iraqi MI-8 Hip and MI-24 Hind helicopters. Unclassified sources report that the Iranian AH-1 pilots achieved a 10:1 kill ratio over the Iraqi helicopter pilots during these engagements (1:5)".[12]
In general the Iraqi pilots liked the Mi-25, in particular for its high speed, long range, great versatility and big weapon load, but disliked the relatively ineffectual weapons and lack of agility.[13]
[edit] Nicaraguan civil war (1980-1988)
Mi-25s were also used by the Nicaraguan Army during the civil war of the 1980s.[14][15] Nicaragua received 12 Hinds (some sources claim 18) in the mid-1980s to deal with American-backed "Contra" insurgents. [10] The Mi-25s performed ground attacks on the Contras and were also fast enough to intercept light aircraft being used by the insurgents. The US Reagan Administration regarded introduction of the Mi-25s as a major escalation of tensions in Central America.
Two Mi-25s were shot down by Stingers fired by the Contras. A third Hind was damaged while pursuing Contras near the Honduran border, when it was pounced on by Honduran F-86 Sabres and A-37 Dragonflies. A fourth was flown by a defecting Sandanista pilot to Honduras in December 1988.
[edit] Sri Lankan Civil War (1987-present)
The Indian Peace Keeping Force (1987-1990) in Sri Lanka used Mi-24s when an Indian Air Force detachment was deployed there in support of the Indian and Sri Lankan armed forces in their fight against various Tamil militant groups such as the LTTE. It is believed that Indian losses were considerably reduced due to the heavy fire support provided by their Mi-24 gunships. The Indians lost no Mi-24s in the operation, as the Tigers had no weapons that could deal with the Crocodile at the time,[16][10] although several sustained heavy damage due to machine gun fire.
From November 14, 1995 to the present, the Sri Lanka Air Force has used Mi-24s in their continuing war with the LTTE for close air support for ground forces and proved highly effective. Currently, the Sri Lanka Air Force operates a mixture of Mi-24/-35P and Mi-24V/-35 versions. They have recently been upgraded with modern Israeli FLIR and Electronic Warfare systems. Five were upgraded to intercept aircraft by adding radar, fully functional helmet mounted target tracking systems, and AAMs. Due to LTTE MANPADS at least 5 have been lost, with another two in attacks on airbases, with a one more heavily damaged, but later returned to service.[16]
[edit] Gulf War (1991)
The Mi-24 was again employed heavily by Iraqis during their invasion of Kuwait, although most were withdrawn by Saddam Hussein when it became apparent that he would need them to retain his grip on power in the aftermath of the war.
A few examples later were sent over the border into Iran, along with many other Iraqi military aircraft in the hope of temporarily preventing them from being destroyed by allied air strikes. As with the other Iraqi aircraft, however, the Iranians kept them and used them in their own service.[citation needed]
[edit] Croatian War of Independence (1990s)
First shown in Croatia 1993, 12 Mi-24 were efficiently used by Croatian army in Operation Storm 1995 against Serbian part of ex Yugoslavia army JNA and paramilitants of the Krajina army.[citation needed].
[edit] First and Second Wars in Chechnya (1990s-2000s)
During First and Second Chechen Wars in the Russian republic of Chechnya, beginning in 1994 and 1999 respectively, Mi-24s were employed by the Russian armed forces. As with Afghanistan, however, the Mi-24s were vulnerable to rebel tactics. Dozens are believed to have been shot down or crashed during military operations. A contributing cause to these crashes is the poor maintenance given to these aging helicopters.
[edit] Kosovo war
During the fighting against KLA rebels in Kosovo and Metohija, JSO helicopters were involved in action at the village of Donji Prekaz. On the night of March 1, 1998, a Serbian Unit for special operations (JSO) landed and one of the Mi-24Vs was hit by small arms fire and made an emergency landing, but the KLA rebels were repulsed by JSO personnel. During the summer of 1998, the Mi-24Vs took part in several combat missions. On June 27, using four helicopters, JSO forces helped some 100 policeman and Serbian civilians fleeing from a NATO-blockade in the village of Kijevo. The Mi-24V and Mi-17 transported ammunition and evacuated wounded.
[edit] Sudanese Civil War (1995-present)
The Sudanese air force acquired six Mi-24's in 1995 which were used in Southern Sudan and the Nuba mountains to engage the SPLA. At least two aircraft were lost within the first year of operation while not in combat, but may have been replaced.
A further twelve were bought in 2001,[17] and used extensively in the oil fields of Southern Sudan. Mi-24s were also deployed to Darfur in 2004-2005.
[edit] Sierra Leone Civil War (1991-2002)
One and later three Mi-24Vs owned by Sierra Leone and flown by South African mercenaries were used against the RUF rebels.[18] In 1995, they helped drive the RUF from the capital, Freetown.[19]
[edit] First and Second Congo Wars (1996-2003)
Three Mi-24s were used by Mobutu's army and later taken over by the new Congolese air force. Also Zimbabwean Mi-24s were operated on behalf of the Congolese army. These have been supplied to Zaire in 1997, at least one of them being flown by Serbian mercenaries.[20]
[edit] 2001 Macedonia conflict (February 2001-August 2001)
The Macedonian armed forces used the Mi-24V, which were supplied by Ukraine, extensively against Albanian separatists. The main areas of action were in Tetovo, Radusha and Aracinovo. These aircraft were used frequently and proved to be very effective, with claims of NLA casualties numbering in the hundreds in the village of Aracinovo.[21]
[edit] Ivorian Civil War (2002-2004)
Five Mil Mi-24s piloted by mercenaries were used in support of government forces. They were later destroyed by the French Army in retaliation for an air attack on a French base which killed nine soldiers.[22]
[edit] Second Congo War (2003-present)
This UN peace keeping mission employed the Mi-24/-35 helicopters from the Indian Air Force to give support to the mission. The IAF has been operating in the region since 2003.[23]
[edit] Iraq War (March 2003-present)
The Polish contingent in Iraq has been using six Mi-24Ds since December 2004. One of them crashed on 18 July 2006 in an air base in Al Diwaniyah.[24]
[edit] War in Somalia (2006–present)
The Ethiopian Air Force has about three Mil Mi-35 and ten Mil Mi-24D helicopter gunships operating in Somalia. One was shot down near the Mogadishu International Airport on March 30, 2007 by Islamic insurgents.[25]
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