Mil Mi-24 Totally Explained

Everything about The Mil Mi-24 totally explained

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.

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'd 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.

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.
In October 2007, the Russian Air Force announced it'll replace its 250 Mi-24 helicopter gunships with 300 more modern Mi-28s by 2015.

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.
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 isn't 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.

Operational history

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.

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.

Chadian-Libyan conflict (1978-1987)

The Libyan airforce actively used Mi-24As and Mi-25s during their many interventions in Chad's civil war. 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.

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.

First deployment

Hinds were supplied to the Afghan government in April 1979 to deal with Mujahideen guerrillas. 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.

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)". 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.
   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. 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. However, these findings are disputed, and it's 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)".
   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.

Nicaraguan civil war (1980-1988)

Mi-25s were also used by the Nicaraguan Army during the civil war of the 1980s. Nicaragua received 12 Hinds (some sources claim 18) in the mid-1980s to deal with American-backed "Contra" insurgents. 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.

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, and used extensively in the oil fields of Southern Sudan. Mi-24s were also deployed to Darfur in 2004-2005.

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. In 1995, they helped drive the RUF from the capital, Freetown.

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.

2001 Macedonia conflict (February 2001-August 2001)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 somali resistance fighters.

Variants

Operators

Afghanistan: 115 have been delivered to the Afghan Air Force since 1979. ; Algeria

Angola ; Armenia: 12 in service with the Armenian Air Force.

;

: 44 delivered in 1979-1986. Still in service. ; Chad

Cyprus: 12x Mi-35P delivered in 2001-2005. ; Croatia: Grounded and retired.

Cuba ; Czech Republic

; East Germany

: 51 taken over from East Germany's Army, sold to Hungary, Poland and two to the US Army. ; Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea ; Ethiopia

Georgia: 25-50 operated by the Georgian Air Force. ; Guinea

Hungary ; India

Indonesia: 2 Mi-35P operated by the Army Corps/TNI-AD (bought in 2004), 5 Mi-35P ordered in 2006, and additional 3 Mi-35 in 2007. So far 8 are in service. ;

Iraq ;

Kazakhstan ; Kyrgyzstan

Libya ; Republic of Macedonia

Mongolia ; Mozambique

Namibia: Namibian Air Force ; Nicaragua

Nigeria ; North Korea

Pakistan: One in service. ; Peru

Poland ; Russia: 260 in service.

Rwanda ; Serbia: Two Mi-24Vs are operated by the Serbian Air Force.

Sierra Leone ; Slovakia

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Air Force operates one squadron consists of 10 Hinds, including Mi-24D/V/P and Mi-35. ;

Armament

Internal guns: � * flexible 12.7 mm Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B Gatling gun on most variants

* fixed GSh-30K on the Mi-24P/VP � * flexible GSh-23L on the Mi-24VP

* PKT door mounted machine guns

External stores: � * Total payload is 1500 kg of external stores.

* Inner hardpoints can carry at least 500 kg � * Outer hardpoints can carry up to 250 kg

* Wing-tip pylons can only carry the 9M17 Phalanga in the Mi-24A-D and the 9K114 Shturm complex in the Mi-24V-F.

Bomb-load: � * All bombs within weight range ZAB, FAB, RBK, ODAB etc., Up to 500kg.

* MBD-4 multiple ejector racks with 4xFAB-100 � * KGMU2V submunition/mine dispensers

First generation armament (standard production Mi-24D): � * GUV-8700 gunpod (with a 12.7 mm Yak-B + 2x7.62 mm GShG-7.62 combination or one AGS-17)

* UB-16 and UB-32 S-5 rocket launchers � * S-24 240mm rocket

* R-60 (twin rail launchers) � * 9M17 Phalanga (a pair on each wingtip pylon)

Second generation armament (Mi-24V and upgrades): � * UPK-23-250 gunpod carrying the GSh-23L

   * S-25 350mm rockets � * B-8V20 a lightweight long tubed helicopter version of the S-8 rocket launcher

   * UB-13 S-13 rocket launcher � * 9M39 Igla missile 2-4 tubes per launcher

   * 9K114 Shturm in pairs on the outer and wingtip pylons

ATE upgrade (Superhind MkIII B) � *30 mm turreted cannon

*8× Ingwe anti-tank guided missile � *Bombs

*S-8, S-13, S-240 rocket pods

Other: � * In foreign service other weapons have sometimes been converted for use

* Modern prototypes can carry the 9K121 Vikhr (Ukrainian prototypes), 9M120 Ataka-V (Mil prototypes), R-73 and a variety of semi-active laser guided rockets and missiles. � * Variants up to at least Mi-24V (HIND-E) have swivel mounts fitted at the three forward windows on each side, including the two in each door; a rifle can be clamped into these mounts to allow embarked troops to fire from inside the cabin. The forward window on each door has a socket for a pintle-mounted machine gun as well as the rifle mount, although there isn't enough space to effectively use both at once. All rifle mounts can be folded or slid out of the way to clear the windows. The windows are hinged at the top and fold up inside the cabin; clips on the cabin ceiling hold them open. The rearmost window on each side can't be opened.(much like on Soviet APCs from that period). The infantry weapon mounts may have been removed from later production aircraft.

* During the war in Afghanistan, additional hand-held weapons were carried internally for crew self defence if shot down. Extra rounds of rocket ammunition were often carried so that the crew could land and self-reload in the field.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Mil Mi-24'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://mil_mi-24.totallyexplained.com">Mil Mi-24 Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.