Russian Ministry of Defense has received a final batch of five Mi-8MTV-5-1 military transport helicopters. The helicopters are equipped with modern domestic-made UV-26M protection equipment. UV-26M passive jamming dispenser is designed to protect aircraft and helicopters from guided missiles by jamming their guidance systems and executive mechanisms with passive countermeasures, effective in optical and radar frequency bands, its producer Vympel MKB claims. The helicopter fuselage has been adapted for the installation of the L-370 electronic warfare system. The cockpit of Mi-8MTV-5-1 is equipped with lighting equipment adapted for the use of night vision goggles, which allows flying in the dark at low and extremely low altitudes, as well as taking off and landing on unmarked sites.
Russian Helicopters delivered a batch of Mi-8MTV-5-1 military transport helicopters to the Russian Defence Ministry in October 2014. In June 2015, Russian Helicopters signed a contract with the Belarusian Defence Ministry for the supply of 12 Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters. The deliveries were concluded in April 2017. Mi-8MTV-5 (export designation Mi-17V-5) is a military transport variant in the Mi-8/17 family of helicopters. It is produced by Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters.Designed to transport cargo inside the cabin and on an external sling, the Mi-8MTV-5 is one of the world’s most advanced transport helicopters. It can also be deployed in troop and arms transport, fire support, convoy escort, patrol, and search-and-rescue (SAR) missions.
In July 2020 Russian Helicopters announced the start of the trials of the brand-new Mi-8AMTSh-VN helicopter purposefully designed for the use by the special forces based on combat experience in Syria. The Mi-8AMTSh-VN helicopter employs two side-mounted 12.7mm forward-firing machine-guns.Mi-8MTV-5 is armed with Shturm-V missiles, S-8 rockets, a 23mm machine gun, PKT machine guns, and AKM sub-machine guns. It features eight firing posts for aiming the weapons. The onboard armament allows the crew to engage enemy personnel, armoured vehicles, land-based targets, fortified fire posts, and other fixed and moving targets.The cockpit and vital components of the helicopter are protected by armoured plates. The aft machine gun position is also fitted with armoured plates to protect the gunner.