Mi-24/35M Hinds: News

AFAIK radar for Mi-28N was not ready yet, when Russian MoD sign contract for them, so they are not included in contract. Later export version got the radar. Russian MoD sign contract for Mi-28UB with radar, as they were ready to be included in contract.

The fact that some aircraft got radars... even if at the time the Russian MoD didn't, suggests installing the radars is not an issue because they have clearly done it with export and UB models.

The Mi-28N and Mi-35M will be retrofitted with new tech/gearboxes/rotor blades as they come along for heavy maintenance. They learned quite a few things from the PSV high-speed heli program.

The Hinds are got Havoc rotors ages ago when they added the new short wings wired for more missiles and the fixed undercarriage. I remember them talking about a increase in lift and a reduction in weight of the new rotors and the fact that the new rotors were stronger and more resistant to damage... all very good reasons in addition to the obvious increase in commonality and increased production volumes reducing prices and simplifying maintenance and support issues.

But further improved blades and gearboxes and the new engines from Klimov will further improve the fleet...

They will rather choose to buy a few helicopters less insted of a new model being without radar.

A sensible policy in my view.

Russia's high-tech firm presents upgraded Mi-24P helicopter at MAKS 2019 air show

New generation electronics have significantly increased the helicopter’s combat endurance and firepower, according to the state corporation

ZHUKOVSKY /Moscow Region/, August 27. /TASS/. Russia’s corporation Rostec has presented an upgraded combat and transport helicopter Mi-24P-1M with new generation onboard electronic equipment at the international air and space show MAKS 2019.

"The updated Mi-24P helicopter has an upgraded unified targeting and navigation system, a panoramic targeting optoelectronic system, a phased array radar (optional), an advanced autopilot, onboard defense system, and a new power supply system. The helicopter’s empty weight has been reduced to 430 kilograms," Rostec said.

New generation electronics have significantly increased the helicopter’s combat endurance and firepower.

"This new version of the helicopter, Mi-24P-1M, is a product of cooperation by our holding companies Helicopters of Russia and the concern of radio-electronic technologies KRET. It boasts better technical and combat parameters, which make it more attractive to potential customers," Rostec quotes the industrial director of the corporation’s aviation cluster, Anatoly Serdyukov, as saying.

The combat and transport helicopter Mi-24P is meant for destroying armored vehicles and providing fire support for ground forces. On the list of the helicopter’s main features are the ability to carry personnel with standard weapons, evacuate those injured from the battlefield and transport cargoes placed inside the cockpit or attached to external hardpoints.

Rostec said the new helicopter was developed jointly by the holding companies Helicopters of Russia and concern of radio-electronic technologies KRET.

https://tass.com/defense/1075173

back...

Interesting new nose bump that helicopter has... is it a forward facing radar antenna array?

Shame it seems to preclude the use of the chin turret... the twin 23mm gun looks ideal... low recoil, high rate of fire so short bursts put a lot of metal on target, heavy projectile with a good HE payload, and compact round that can be carried in large amounts.

Still seems to have the old wings and missile pylons... any comments?

Interesting shift in responsibilities... with the Hind D with the 12.7mm chin turret, the gunner controlled the nose mounted gatling and the guided anti tank missiles, while the pilot being in control of the whole aircraft directed the unguided rockets and any bombs carried.

With the model with the fixed 30mm cannon of course the pilot was then in control of the guns because the whole aircraft had to be steered to aim them, along with unguided rockets and bombs, while the "gunner" controlled the guided weapons.

The upgraded Hind with the chin mounted 23mm turret returned the gun control to the gunner... and made the gun much less traumatic to use...

Hang on we are looking at different aircraft here... the image in post no 115 from kopyo-21 shows a wingtip self defence pod, but an old wing but with the pylons for Vikhr, plus the old retractable gear, old tail rotor and 23mm chin turret gun but no obvious EO ball.

In post 114 by Cyberspec there is the new square DIRCMS turret seen on the newer Ka-52s with the square shape as opposed to the older rounded shape for the laser turret.

It also has the old wing but no self defence pod on the wing tip positions which seem to retain the old launchers but clearly can include new missiles like SOSNA-R.

I suspect upgrades will depend on the customer... some of which will be keen for some upgrades and not so keen for others...

Sosna-R missile shown as part of armament of the new Mi-24P-1M....a bit strange...how is it guided?

Laser beam riding like Kornet and also Krisantema and late model Ataka.

Means you can attack targets with any signature or reflective surface coating... all the clever stuff is in the launcher and not the missile so the missiles are cheap and very fast.

Army aviation brigade in Urals gets four Mi-24P attack helicopters

https://tass.com/defense/1085565

Still Sosna seems like an unusual weapon for a helicopter...what is at used for ? other attacking other helicopters?

Would suspect drones and cruise missiles if they are adding a nose mounted radar array... it would be an interesting short range air patrol platform able to fly around and engage light aircraft... the SOSNA missiles are rather fast and with the solid fuelled rocket motors they should be able to rapidly climb to engage targets at higher altitudes than most MANPADS can. It also does not require a good IR or radar signature to engage.

Would be ideal for use against all sorts of air threats and targets... and soft ground based targets too.

Which stuff are in the launcher ?

What I mean is a comparison with Javelin... it has a thermal imager in it so when you launch you can walk away. But the thermal sight inside the missile is destroyed with normal use and is very expensive.

The Sosna looks back at the launch platform and positions itself in a laser beam... because the sensor in the missile is looking directly into the laser source rather than a reflection it means the laser can be thousands of times less powerful... you can compare with a torch... a small light torch might light up an area of 20-30m, so if you were a missile using light from the torch as guidance you wont be able to be used against targets more than 30m away without a much brighter torch.

If however you took the light sensor off the front of the torch and pointed it backwards at the torch, then you could probably see that torch for 10-20km... it doesn't need to light up the target to make the target visible... you just need to see the beam and your position in that beam.

SOSNA uses a coded laser beam like aircraft on an aircraft carrier use a mirror and lights to land. The glide slope to land is fixed and is indicated by mirrors and lights... if you are on the correct glide slope you see green lights... if you are too low you see red lights and therefore know you need to climb... if you are too high you see yellow or blue lights and know you need to get lower to land safely.

SOSNA and Kornet and Vikhr are the same, but they are looking back at a laser and determining where they are in the beam in a similar way... they manouver themselves in to the centre of the beam.

But all the expensive high tech detection and tracking stuff is in the launch platform... whether that be a SOSNA vehicle or Hind helicopter or a portable Kornet launcher.

The launcher can be expensive with long range optics and EOs plus all weather day night optics like thermal sights, as well as autotrackers and the like to enable point targets to be engaged out to 10-12km distance day or night, but the missiles are cheap and simple...