Mi-24 ‘Hind’

• Gunshlp • Tank-buster • Afghan war veteran

Tho Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ is the hammor of the Russian army. A veteran of battles in Afghanistan and Angola, and most recently in Chechnya, the Mi-24 is a flying armoured personnel carrier, able to deliver a squad of soldiers and cover them with suppressive fire. Armed with a cannon and powerful laser-guided anti-armour missiles, and now fitted with the latest avionics and new engines, the ‘Hind’ is a highly potont attack helicopter.

A Twin cannon

The ‘Hmd-F’ replaced the nose turret machine-gun with a fixed twin-barrel 30-mm GSh cannon.

Battle wagon ►

The •Hind‘ proved its toughness in Afghanistan, where it often survtvod massive small-arms tiro.

-4 Guntighter

The ‘Hind-D’ carries tho classic Mi-24 armament fit. A

12.7- mm multi­barrel gun turret sharos the nose with an electro – optical guidance system to starboard and a missilo guidance pod to port.

A German ‘Hind’

The Luftwaffe has disposed of its Mi-24 fleet, acquired along with East Germany, mainly duo to poor supplies of spares.

A Fast mover

The ‘Hind’ usod its speed to advantage in attacks, acting much like a ground-attack ict fighter.

FACTS AND

► Tho prototypo Гог tho Mi-24 яогіоя, flttod with a conventional cockpit, made its first flight in 1970.

>> An Mi-24 sot a helicopter world speed record of 368.4 km/h (229 m. p.h.).

► Mt-24s fought against South African troops during tho Angolan war.

FIGURES

► Mujahidoen guorrillas In Afghanistan shot down throe Ml-24s at Jalalabad air base in five minutes using Stinger missiles.

> The ‘Hind’ is oporated by more than two

dozen countries.

>■ Two Mi-24s wore flown to Pakistan by defecting Afghan air forco pilots.