As Mi-24

helps to destroy terrorists of YOKES in Syria

Air "virtuoso"

Once the former chief of Syzransky aviation school, the fighting pilot, Hera Rossii colonel Nikolay Yartsev so explained to the author of these lines a principle of management by helicopter: «Present two metal spheres. Presented? And now try to put mentally their one on another and to hold in such situation. Here and to operate helicopter – approximately the same…».

And still, looking what pirouettes heavenly hunter Mi-24 writes out sometimes in air, is not believed that his masterly handwriting – so tough job. And after all weight even the empty helicopter from 7,5 to 8,3 tons. And, besides, the fighting helicopter is not simply rotary-wing car. Besides management, the pilot and the navigator-operator need to define still the purposes, to fire from all types of onboard arms, to carry out antiantiaircraft maneuvers. Not casually to pilot military helicopters always trusted only in officers, graduates of profile aviation military colleges who and called, "helicopter".

Mi-24 along with the Kalashnikov, Poplar rockets and some other samples of domestic arms appeared among most recognizable "brands" of our weapon. It is predatory shape it is known worldwide. And on many fighting and technical characteristics this helicopter and its updatings up to that moment does not have the equal.

By the way, colonel Yartsev leytenantsky upon termination of military higher education institution (that school in Syzran which he headed later) began services in an aviation regiment in Bagrama. A task of the pilot was to patrol from air approaches to airfield where was based impressive on structure аваиакрыло the limited contingent.

Flights were carried out in a mode by turns, but in air always there was pair of our "crocodiles" – such nickname because of the characteristic appearance was received by these cars. In case of detection of any danger on the earth, for example, detection of group of fighters or drawing of mortar blow on airfield, Mi-24 should strike at once from the first calling blow to a weapon emplacement.

In the well-known film «the 9th company» in a scene of defeat of the Soviet An-12 which has taken off from one of the Afghan airfields, it is shown, how right after blow drawing in the sky Mi-24 rises. On operative response to threats on the earth, and, the most important, to the guaranteed destruction of any land purpose, it was difficult to overestimate possibilities of this helicopter.

To open and destroy

As a part of the mixed Russian aviation group providing drawing of dot blows on objects of the IGIL international terrorist organization in the territory of Syria, also there are fighting vehicles of this type. It is easy to assume a range of their tasks: it is protection and defense of approaches to home airfield, air cover of helicopters of search and rescue service (on a departure case to the area of search of the pilot catapulting from the padded plane), and also fire support of coming land armies.

However, while about this functional application of Mi-24 (it is a question of their latest upgraded version – Mi-35) speeches do not go: it is declared that the main fighting objectives in Syria carry out the planes of the front aircraft striking blows with the high-precision weapon to opened positions of terrorists. Once emergence of Mi-24 became real break, revolution in military aircraft. Before the first similar experiment was undertaken by Americans with their Bell AH-1 "Cobra" created purposefully under Vietnam. By the way, our helicopter, contrary to leisure opinion, appeared not in connection with events in Afghanistan though exactly there received the first baptism of fire. Creation of the new rotary-wing car "ground" first of all under problems of fire support of coming motor-shooting and tank divisions from air, and also defeat of armor objects of the opponent, started in the late sixties.

Designers of experimental design bureau of M.L.Mil managed to make the impossible. The new helicopter incorporated possibility and «the flying tank», equipped with the most powerful weapon, and the transport worker. In a small landing compartment eight people with equipment and regular shooting arms quite could take place. Not casually the first serial samples of Mi-24 went on arms of landing and assault brigades of Airborne troops. Possibilities of paratroopers with such support repeatedly increased.

Two and a half tons of fire from the sky

Mi-24 made the unconditional competition not only "Cobra", but also managed to contend as equals with other perspective shock helicopter of army of the USA – AH-64 «Apache». By the way, these two cars – Soviet-Russian and American are for today the most mass fighting helicopters in the world.

Key difference of our air hunter was and there is a system of protection of crew. Special steel plates the crew cabin, a box of drives, маслобаки engines, a reducer, a hydrotank here is armor. Bronirovano also chair of the pilot: it is equipped with a bronespinka and so-called "bronezagolovnik". Broneperegorodka covered also office where there is the second crew member, and the overall picture is supplemented by front bulletproof glass. In turn Mi-35 option the helicopter is equipped with more powerful engines, has fiberglass blades of the bearing screw, the plug of the bearing screw with the elastomeric hinges, the new machine gun of a distortion and the updated steering screw giving big maneuverability.

But most important "counter" of helicopters of this model available powerful system of arms. Already on the first updatings of this car, in the 1960-70th years mobile fire installations not having at that time analogs were established. In general, the nomenclature of onboard shooting and gun arms Mi-24/35 strikes. It both 12,7-mm machine guns, and 30-mm automatic grenade launchers, and two chetyrekhstvolny machine guns GShG-7,62, and two aviation guns GSh-23L mounted in portable universal gun containers, and fixed mobile gun installation.

Destruction of tanks from air is provided with rockets ПТУРК of "Shturm-V", "Ataka-M", «Hermes – And». Considerable defeat can be put to the land opponent with uncontrollable rockets which are charged in four starting containers (PLANK BEDS blocks – uncontrollable aviation rockets). Besides, the helicopter can accept on external пилоны class "air-air" rockets, including helicopter option of PZRK "Igla-V", and also bear bombing loading in weight to 500 kg.

The general fighting loading of the car reaches 2,5 tons. Two and a half tons of fire from the sky! For comparison – the gross weight of a unit of fire, say, the T-72 tank (if to consider full loading of this car armor-piercing and cumulative and fragmental and demolition shells) will not exceed also ton.

«The flying tank» with computer "stuffing"

For today it is known at least about three tens wars and the military conflicts occurring in various regions of the world where helicopters of this family to some extent took part. In Afghanistan these cars gained the deserved recognition because of their reliability, unpretentiousness, sure fighting work in any situation, well and, of course, to existence of an impressive arsenal onboard. Here as all complex of the weapon of this helicopter anywhere was useful.

Primary drawing of blow from a remote distance PLANK BEDS complex rockets, and then dot fire defeat by machine-gun or gun installation became tactics of its fighting application. In turn long-term weapon emplacements, caches and shelters of Mujahideens, were destroyed by aviation bombs of large calibre. Defeat of the most fighting vehicle by fire of small arms and even large-caliber antiaircraft machine guns, thanks to armored protection and maneuvering possibilities, was minimized, and shots of PZRK of the Stinger type were generally taken away by equipment of an onboard complex of defense, first of all the device of shooting of traps ASO-2B.

Helicopters of this model carried out of a task and were delivered for export to many countries of Africa and the Middle East. So a peculiar Syrian climate and, first of all, high temperature of air inherent in this region, will be to our car not in wonder. The complex of the onboard flight and navigation and radio-electronic equipment allows to carry out flights as in the afternoon, and at night and under any weather conditions, provides reliable stabilization in flight, facilitates piloting. So, it is better to possibility to see in a night-time to the pilot give the night vision glasses OVN-1 "SKOSOK" and the adapted for their application external and internal lighting and light-signal equipment.

Complex of pilotage, navigation and electronic indication, the aim computer system, complex of the means of communication, the modernized complex of operated rocket arms with survey and aim system. It is not simple «the flying tank», and a modern and perfect assault fighting vehicle.

By the way, on Mi-24 in due time it was established and some world records. Still achievement in speed of the flight, established on this helicopter the Soviet test pilot Karapetyan in 1978 is not beaten. 368 with superfluous kilometers per hour.! This car and on a so-called skoropodjemnost showed record data: height in 3 kilometers of Mi-24 reached in 2 minutes of 34 seconds, and 6 kilometers – in 8 minutes 31 second.

This rotary-wing attack plane takes a special place in the history of aviation equipment, having deserved reputation of the reliable air fighter. Today, despite a solid experience, this car continues to draw duty worldwide. On Mi-24 the well-known Russian flight group "Berkuty" acts also.

Dmitry Sergeyev