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MI-24 HIND - THE DEVIL'S CHARIOT

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The Mil Mi-24 (NATO reporting name 'Hind') is a versatile, multirole helicopter which acts as both a gunship and a troop transport. It is operated from 1976 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and over thirty other nations. Russian pilots nicknamed the aircraft letayushiy tank or 'flying tank' most probably due to its large size and heavy firepower. Another common nickname is Krokodil ('Crocodile'), a name which derived from the helicopter's camouflage and hull shape.

BACKGROUND:
The core of the aircraft was taken from the Mil Mi-8 Hip, two top mounted turboshaft engines driving a mid-mounted 17.3 m five-blade main rotor and a three blade tail rotor. The engine positions give the aircraft its distinctive double air intake. Mi-24 versions D and above include a characteristic tandem cockpit with a "double bubble" canopy. Other components of the airframe came from the Mi-14. Weapon hardpoints are provided by two short mid-mounted wings (which also provide lift), each offering three stations. The Hind can be tasked with close air support, anti-tank operations, or aerial combat. The body is heavily armoured and the titanium rotor blades can resist heavy machinegun calibres from 12.7mm and below. The overpressurized cockpit protects the crew from NBC conditions. The craft uses a retractable tricycle undercarriage.

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The Mi-24's large size gave it problems with endurance and maneuverability. In tight banking turns it can roll alarmingly as the wings lose lift - this was noted during test-flights in 1969 but has still not been entirely eliminated. To counter this vulnerability, the Russians operate the aircraft in pairs or squadrons, with attacks carefully coordinated to strike from multiple directions simultaneously.

Another weakness is the possibility of the main rotor striking the tail-boom during violent combat maneuvers. Its heavy weight limits the Mi-24's effectiveness as a helicopter. Some reports state that with a full load the Hind needs a rolling take-off and also cannot hover. The problems with the dual-role Hind have prompted the development of the Mil Mi-28 and also the Kamov Ka-50 to replacing its role as a gunship. Also, the wings interfere with the aircraft's ability to hover and take off vertically. In fact, the Hind is certified to hover for only about 200 hours during its entire lifetime, a consequence of its emphasis on forward speed.

Despite these problems, as well as the appearance of the Mi-28 and Ka-50 replacing its role as a gunship, the versatile Mi-24 will remain in production and service with the Russian military until 2015.

COMBAT EXPERIENCE:

Image 03: three Mi-24 Hinds flying in squadron formation.

The Mi-24 has colourful records of combat experience in several dozen conflicts spanning over three decades from Africa, the Middle East to the Balkans.

It was first seen in action during the Ogaden War (1977-1978) in Africa between Ethiopia and Somalia, in which it was used by the Ethiopian forces against the Somalis. The helicopters formed part of a massive airlift of military equipment from the Soviet Union, after the Soviets switched sides from supporting Somalia to supporting Ethiopia instead towards the end of 1977. This prompted the United States of America (USA) to start supporting Somalia as a countermeasure. Here, the unpredictable and constantly backstabbing nature of Cold War alliance was clearly being demonstrated. The war ended when Somali forces retreated back across the border and a truce was declared.

The aircraft was operated extensively during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979-1989), mainly for bombarding Mujahideen strongpoints and positions. The USA, via the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), supplied heat-seeking Stinger missiles to the Mujahideen, thus turning the tables against the Soviet forces, as the helicopters previously used to hunt down the Mujahideen became the hunted. The Mi-24 constituted a part of the 333 helicopters lost during combat operations in Afghanistan. Though heavily armored, the tail section of the Mi-24 is extremely vulnerable due to the lack of armor.

The Stinger's heat-seeking nature combined with the Mi-24's exhaust being directly under the main rotor caused the aircraft to disintegrate if hit. This was remedied later by countermeasure flares and a missile warning system being installed into all Soviet helicopters including the Mi-24 giving the pilot a chance to evade the missile or crash-land. During this conflict, the Mi-24 proved effective and very reliable, earning the respect of both Soviet pilots and the Mujahideen, who scattered as quickly as possible when Soviet target designation flares were lit nearby. The Mujahideen even nicknamed the Mi-24 as the 'Devil's Chariot' due to its notorious reputation. As one Afghan rebel said, "We do not fear the Soviets. We fear their helicopters."

Image 04: An Iraqi Mi-24 Hind being inspected by US soldiers during the First Gulf War (2nd Aug. 1990 - 28th Feb 1991). Its virtually unscathed appearance had indicated that it was left abandoned by its operators, demoralised by relentless Coalition air campaigns and no longer loyal to Saadam Hussein.

During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Mi-24 saw considerable deployment by the Iraqi Army during the long war with its neighbour, Iran. The Mi-24's heavy armament was a key factor in causing severe damage to Iranian ground forces. For the first time in history, an air-to-air helicopter battle with the Iraqi Mi-24 flying against Iranian AH-1J Sea Cobras (supplied by the US military) occured on several separate occasions. These rare battles saw the Iraqi Mi-24 emerged with a slight edge with ten AH-1Js downed compared to six of their own Mi-24s downed.

The First and Second Chechen War (1990s-2000s), Mi-24s were employed by the Russian armed forces. As with Afghanistan, however, the Mi-24s were vulnerable to rebel tactics, of which Chechen fighters were well-trained at as many of them were either ex-Russian army officers or veterans of the Afghan-Soviet War. Dozens were believed to have been shot down or crashed during military operations. Another contributing cause to these crashes is the poor maintenance given to these ageing helicopters. Budget constraints has always been an issue with Russian military spending, which left a number of its military equipments in deplorable condition.

VARIANTS:
Based on the NATO reporting name, variants for the Mi-24 Hind are identified with an additional letter. Nearly all of the older Hind A, B and C variants have been upgraded or modified to the Hind D or E standard.

- Mi-24D/HIND D: Direct air support.
- Mi-24V/HIND E: Direct air support. Most proliferated version.
- Mi-24P/HIND F: Direct air support. The fixed twin gun cut the turret profile, and empty weight to 8,200 kg, while boosting maximum gross weight to 12,000 kg.
- Mi-24R/HIND G-1: NBC sampling. It has mechanisms to obtain soil and air samples, filter air, and place marker flares.
- Mi-24K/HIND G-2: Photo-recon, and artillery spotting. Has a camera in cabin, gun, rocket pods, but no targeting system.
- Mi-25: Export version of the Hind D.
- Mi-35: Export version of the Hind E. The Mi-35M has a twin barrel 23mm gun.
- Mi-35P: Export version of the Hind F.

Since 1978, around 2,000 Hinds have been manufactured, 600 for export. The U.S. Army operates a number of Hinds in Louisiana for adversary training.

SPECIFICATIONS AND ARMAMENTS:

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1. General Characteristics:
Origin: Russia
Crew: 2 (pilot, co-pilot)
Capacity: 8 troops or 4 stretchers
Length: 57ft 4in (17.5m)
Rotor diameter: 56ft 7in (17.3m)
Wingspan: 21ft 3in (6.5m)
Height: 21ft 3in (6.5m)
Disc area: 2,529.52ft² (235m²)
Empty weight: 18,740lb (8,500kg)
Maximum Take-Off Weight: 26 455lb (12,000kg)
Powerplant: 2× Isotov TV-3 turbines, 2,200hp (1,600 kW) each

2. Performance:
Maximum speed: 208mph (335km/h)
Range: 280 miles (450 km)
Service ceiling: 14,750 ft (4,500 m)

Image 06: Mi-24 armaments on display. From left to right: UV-16-57/UV-32-57 rocket pods, AT-2 Swatter anti-tank missile. 12.7mm machinegun rounds seen hung around the launch rail were probably for display purposes or of other unknown reasons.

3. Armaments:

3a. Offensive:
- AT-2 Swagger.
- AT-3 Sagger.
- AT-6 Spiral.
- SA-7 Grail Anti-Aircraft Missile (AAM).
- 160mm, 210mm or 240mm single tube-launched rockets.
- UV-16-57 or UV-32-57 rocket pod. The two digits in the middle indicates the number of rounds while the two digits at the end indicates rocket diameter. In this case, the rocket pods are available in 16 or 32 round 57mm variants.
- FAB-250 bombs.
- Four-barrel 12.7mm YaKB-12.7 Yakushev-Borzov machinegun.
- 23mm or 30mm twin-barrel cannon.

3b. Defensive:
- Infrared jammer.
- Chaff/flare dispenser.

INFO SOURCE (REFERENCED, TAKEN AND/OR EDITED FROM):
1. Wikipedia. Search keyword:
- Mi-24
- Hind
- Ogaden War
- Soviet War in Afghanistan
- Iran-Iraq War
- Chechnya

2. Infos for the Mi-24 Hind on FAS.org.

3. Modern Land Combat by David Miller and Christopher F. Foss, page 118-119, Salamander Books, ISBN 0-86101-316-6.

4. The Illustrated Directory of Special Forces by David Miller, page 404-405, Greenwich Editions, ISBN 0-86288-697-X.

IMAGE SOURCE:
All images are taken from FAS.org Military Analysis Network.

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