Mi-24D

The experience of the Vietnam War showed the need for specialized attack helicopters that could destroy both infantry and armored vehicles and hit weakly fortified structures. The development of such helicopters began in the United States, which was then the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer. In turn, the USSR, which was then actively competing with the United States in the field of armaments, commissioned the Mil Design Bureau to develop its own attack helicopter, which was then personally undertaken by General Designer Mikhail Mil.

The basis was the already proven serial multipurpose Mi-8. Soviet designers reduced the size of this helicopter, changed the cockpit, and adapted it to conduct assault strikes on ground targets, and later on, air targets.

The Mi-24 became the first Soviet helicopter specially designed to provide fire support to ground forces and put into mass production. With a capacity of eight troops, this helicopter was much bulkier than its American counterparts. Moreover, in the first production runs, the crew was seated side by side in the cockpit, not in tandem. Combat experience has shown the need for a radical change in the design of the cockpit, which made it possible to better utilize the helicopter’s potential.

The Mi-24D helicopter (NATO designation Hind-D), which appeared in 1976, had separate, tandem cockpits for the pilot and weapons operator, but still retained a cockpit for transporting troops and an additional seat for the flight engineer. Other modifications followed, differing in the weapons installed and some design features, including narrowly specialized ones for artillery observation and radiation, chemical and bacteriological reconnaissance, which were not armed; the main modification that was commercially produced was the Mi-24D. In total, more than 2,300 Mi-24s of various modifications were produced between 1970 and 1989.

The main armament of the Mi-24D consists of a four-barreled 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the bottom of the nose and AT-2 Scorpion (Swagger) ATGMs, which are part of the Phalanx-B system. Currently, the armies of the CIS member states have about 1250 Mi-24 helicopters in service.

The Mi-24 powerplant, manufactured in 1972, consists of two TV3-117 turbofan engines of the Izotov design. The TV3-117VM engines, which are equipped with Mi-24B (Hind-E) helicopters, have a capacity of 1659 kilowatts each. It was the Mi-24V that was first equipped with the Sturm-V anti-tank system with an electronic optical sight in the nose and AT-6 “Cocoon” (Spiral) ATGMs suspended from the ends of the wings with a small span and on two of the four pylons (usually eight missiles, but twelve if necessary). The rest of the Mi-24B's armament includes containers with rocket launchers and cannons, Arrow, Igla or R-60 (Aphid) air-to-air missiles, as well as weapons with cluster warheads - the total weight of the armament is up to 1200 kg. The Mi-24VP (Hind-E) is equipped with a 23-mm automatic cannon, which is installed instead of a four-barrel machine gun. The Mi-24D export variant, intended for delivery to developing countries, is designated Mi-25; Mi-35/Mi-35P is the designation of the export versions of the Mi-24B and Mi-24P modifications. A program to upgrade Hind helicopters to the new Mi-24VM standard (Mi-35M export variant) has recently been published: the weapon systems for fighting armored targets and electronic equipment are being significantly improved.