According to the announcement of the Press Service of the Russian Helicopters Holding of the Rostec State Corporation, the newest Mil Mi-28NM attack helicopter participated in the flight test program. Mi-28NE can be applied in mountainous, hot and humid climate conditions. As reported previously, the contract for delivery of 98 Mi-28NM attack helicopters to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was signed in 2019. The first batch of standard attack helicopters was transferred to the customer in 2020.
The Mil Mi-28 (NATO reporting name “Havoc”) is a Russian all-weather, day-night, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter. It is an attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 gunship for the role. It carries a single gun in an undernose barbette, plus external loads carried on pylons beneath stub wings. The Mi-28N was unveiled in 1995, the N designation meaning “night”. A fifth-generation derivative, dubbed Mi-28NM, has been in development since 2008.
An upgraded version of the Mi-28N under development since 2009. The helicopter has redesigned nose hull due to removal of its nose antenna, new H025 radar station for all-round visibility, more powerful VK-2500P engines with FADEC instead of the previous Klimov TV3-117VMA engines and improved rotor blades to increase its maximum speed by 13% and cruise speed by 10%. Besides that, it has an upgraded fire-control system and new “Izdeliye 296” onboard radio-electronic data processing system.
Mil Mi-28NM attack helicopter will be equipped to carry the 9M123 Khrizantema-V and 9M127-1 Ataka-VM anti-tank missiles. It is also planned to be equipped with the new “Izdeliye 305” or LMUR (Light Multi-role Unified Missile) multi purpose missile, designed for use against air and ground targets, and fitted with inertial guidance in initial flight, with mid-course updates by an operator before the target is acquired by the missile’s own seeker, giving a range of 25 km (16 mi).
