Mi-24/35M Hinds: News

Soviet experience with the Hind was that you shouldn't mix troop capacity with gunship capacity.

The Mi-8/17 can carry a more useful number of troops that can get in and out much much faster and more easily, yet still carry enough firepower to "suppress" the enemy before or after troops are deployed/picked up.

The Hind on the other hand can not really use its firepower very effectively when coming in and hovering to pick up or deploy troops. It made rather more practical sense for the Hind to shoot and the Hip to pick up or drop off in real combat situations.

For police operations or anti terrorist missions or deploying a small group of special forces the Hind was a good choice, but most of the time the rear cabin contained reserve ammo.

http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/42444/

2 more Mi-35Ms delivered to VVS.
20 in service in total.

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Army Aviation Base JUVO Get the latest Mi-35

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Rostov AFB receives new Mi-35

Anyone know what this unusual version ofthe Mi-24 is? First time I see it. Looks like it's new...

  http://russianplanes.net/ID137853

Cyberspec wrote:Anyone know what this unusual version ofthe Mi-24 is? First time I see it. Looks like it's new...

  http://russianplanes.net/ID137853

If i am not mistaken, then this should be the Mi-35M2 (Mi-24VM3) testbed installing scorpion radar in the nose section and like it seems, LWR + jamming pods on wingtip.

I could be wrong but that seems to be.

Werewolf wrote:

Cyberspec wrote:Anyone know what this unusual version ofthe Mi-24 is? First time I see it. Looks like it's new...

  http://russianplanes.net/ID137853

If i am not mistaken, then this should be the Mi-35M2 (Mi-24VM3) testbed installing scorpion radar in the nose section and like it seems, LWR + jamming pods on wingtip.

I could be wrong but that seems to be.

Yes it seems like a prototype/testbed, a serial production Hind would at the very least have a front mounted cannon.

It might not be meant to have a cannon up front. The bulge on the nose is in the way

Strange mix of old and new.

New fixed undercarriage... lighter but more drag, but more safety in crash.

New radar that looks about the size of the weather radars fitted to Mi-8s.

Old wings with wing tip pods that appear to contain sensors to detect incoming missiles like the wingtip pods on the Mi-28.

IR turret.

Vibration dampners on the main rotor.

Enlarged windows.

I would guess VIP transport.

This must be a testbed, look at all the VHF antennas or whatever kind of antennas that are on the tail section, to many to be just UHF/VHF antennas, also a TACAN near the suppossed Radar.

Some time ago i searched for Mi-24 prototypes, because of Stinrays forum, and found a little article that a project started in 1987 to install a scorpion radar with both weapon guidance as an exhange for the Radio commanding pod of Ataka/Shturm missiles but also with a target search (MMW wave) radar, the projected was closed 1989 due the fall of Soviet Union. This radar was addressed in one borchure of some Ukrainian company stated this radar as "Scorpion-V" with also 3-4km range, heliborne.

Later i read an article stating an upgrade for Mi-24VM3 (Mi-35M2), that it should get an mast mounted radar specifically designed for Mi-24, with just a little bit lower performance than the Arbalet.

There will not be any combat Mi-24 without a cannon, not even for a "commanding" vehicle, this is just a testbed.

If it is a testbed for new ATGMs then why would it have the old pylons that would only allow two to four Shturm/Ataka missiles per pylon instead of the new stub wings that allow 8 missiles on two pylons?

Plus all those antennas on the tail would also suggest VIP transport with multichannel communications likely a priority too.

I suspect work on the Scorpion radar/missile complex would be dead and currently replaced with the Arbalet/Krisantema combination. Better range, more powerful and faster missile that is already in production and service in its ground vehicle version... and rather cheap command guidance.

From this one picture that is really hard to argue for any version we presented or any alternative, from the painting it looks rather unfinished, which also the failing IRCM let us believe, but like you have seen before me, which i really don't like to admit, that this version has indeed a rotor vibration reductor system and that clearly states that this is more of a civil version than anythin for military purposes. Giving that the stubbed wings would be better in this older configuration than the new VM configuration, this gives them the right place for the LWR pods, most likely this will be used for further sensoric upgrades.

The other thing that bugs me is this little fin right after the pilots seat, where usually the old soviet MAW sensors via active radar illumination are installed. From the shadow it throws onto the fuselage it looks rather rectangle shaped and the white thing, be it just paint that runs straight over it and ends on fuselage or be it a bulb-like shaped housing for newer Radar Warning Reciever.

And what bugs me is this TACAN like fin next to the Radar, little bit of odd place but seems to be good when no FLIR and nor Turret is needed.

All planned 2014 state defense order Mi-35M delivered to Southern Command

Nice but amateurish footage of Mi-24V operating in Dagestan.

mack8 wrote:Check this out, Mi-35M with full DIRCM suite. Looking forward to see the Mi-28N with same:

Haha, i fucking holy shit knew it.

To bad there is no voting system anymore, but thanks for that anyways.

Was about time for fuck sake!

Thanks Mack...great to see

Hi does anyone know if the MI-24 has ever been used as VIP transport? especially for heads of state, also if they have any pics including inside.

I know the MI-8 has been used as such, but I think the MI-24 would be ideal VIP transport mainly due its speed and armour. any thoughts?

I think now it is the first time it is dedicated to exactly that purpose. No version before that was specified for that but i am not so sure if never used as a VIP aircraft from time to time.

The cabin in the rear is a bit small to carry more than one or two people in comfort... the armour is only useful against small arms which makes it better protected than the much larger Hip family, but then the Hip has more room for fridges for bubbly and of course communications equipment etc.

With DIRCMs both should be relatively safe from guided weapons, but unguided like a volley of RPGs will always be a problem...

GarryB wrote:The cabin in the rear is a bit small to carry more than one or two people in comfort... the armour is only useful against small arms which makes it better protected than the much larger Hip family, but then the Hip has more room for fridges for bubbly and of course communications equipment etc.

With DIRCMs both should be relatively safe from guided weapons, but unguided like a volley of RPGs will always be a problem...

Use Kontakt-5!

GarryB wrote:The cabin in the rear is a bit small to carry more than one or two people in comfort... the armour is only useful against small arms which makes it better protected than the much larger Hip family, but then the Hip has more room for fridges for bubbly and of course communications equipment etc.

With DIRCMs both should be relatively safe from guided weapons, but unguided like a volley of RPGs will always be a problem...

the Mi-24 used in VIP role would only be used for shorter journeys where fridges etc woulnd't be needed, comms equipment woulnd't take that much room, install some seats and i am sure it would be comfy enough after it would only be short journeys, and if you used 3-4 MI-24 at a time some used as escorts, the enemy wouldnt have a clue as to which one was carrying the VIP as you would make all of them visually identical.

The purpose of the Mi-24 concept was for landing troops in smaller numbers on hot landing zones.

Of course it was found that an Mi-24 landing troops can effectively use its weapons during a landing and that in effect using an Mi-8 made rather more sense as it has three exits so troops can get into and out of it faster and for troop transport time on the ground is critical.

In the end they realised it made more sense to use Hips for troop transport and Hinds for support... I suspect they would make the same conclusions regarding VIP transport.

The only exception would be if the threat was small arms for which the Mi-24 is better protected than the Hip.

Seems like prototype of DIRCM/MAW wingtip pod that at sometime was used/tested.