Mil Mi-28 Russian Military Air Force Attack Helicopter

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The Mil Mi-28 ('Havoc') is a Russian all-weather day-night military tandem two-seat anti-armour attack helicopter. Mil Mi-28 is a dedicated attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 for the anti-tank role. Mil Mi-28 carries a single gun in an under nose barbette, plus external loads carried on pylons beneath stub wings. The Mi-28 has two heavily armored cockpits, a nose full with electronic equipments, and a narrow-X tail rotor. Its engines are two 2,200 hp Isotov TV-3-117VM (t/n 014) gas turbines. The X-type tail rotor (55 deg) has reduced noise characteristics. While the Mi-28 is not intended for use as a transport, it does have a small passenger compartment capable of carrying three people. The planned purpose of this is to enable the rescue of downed helicopter crews.

Specifications of Mil Mi-28

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 pilot (rear), 1 navigator/weapons operator (front)
• Length: 17.01 m (55 ft 9 in)
• Rotor diameter: 17.20 m (56 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.82 m (12 ft 7 in)
• Empty weight: 8,095 kg (17,845 lb)
• Loaded weight: 10,400 kg (22,930 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 11,500 kg (25,705 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Klimov TV3-117VMA turboshaft, 1,450 kW (1,950 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 362 km/h (187 mph)
• Range: 1,100 km (640 mi)
• Service ceiling: 5,800 m (19,000 ft)

Armament

• 1x chin-mounted 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon with 300 rounds (220° horizontal fire)
• up to 2,300 kg of disposable stores on four hardpoints, including bombs, rockets, missiles, and gunpods

Mi-28N

General characteristics

• Crew: two, pilot and weapons operator
• Length: 17.01 m (55 ft 10 in)
• Main rotor diameter: 17.20 m (56 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.82 m (12 ft 6 in) (without radar)
• Main rotor area: 232.4 m² (2,500 ft²)
• Empty: 7,890 kg (17,394 lb)
• Loaded: 10,400 kg (22,930 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 12,100 kg (26,700 lb)
• Powerplant: 2x Klimov TV3-117VM turboshafts, 1,640 kW (2,200 shp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 377 km/h (218 mph)
• Range: 460 km (286 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5,750 m (18,900 ft)
• Rate of climb: 816 m/min (2,680 ft/min)
• Main rotor loading: 45 kg/m² (9 lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: 0.31 kW/kg (0.19 hp/lb)

Armament

• 1x chin-mounted 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon with 300 rounds (220° horizontal fire)
• up to 2,400 kg (4,400 lb) of disposable stores on four hardpoints including bombs, rockets, gunpods, anti-tank and anti-air missiles.

Variants of Mil Mi-28

• Mi-28A - Original production anti-tank helicopter. Development done in 1998, first flight in 2003.
• Mi-28N/MMW Havoc - All weather day-and-night combat helicopter. It is equipped with a top-mounted millimeter wave radar station, IR-TV, and laser ranger. Serial Mi-28N will have two TV3-117V MA-SB3 engines (2500 hp each), made by the Ukrainian Motor-Sich. Max take off weight of 11500 kg, max payload weight of 2350 kg.
  • Mi-28N has been entered service under the name of "Night Hunter" (Russian: Ночной охотник). A squadron of Mi-28N from Torzhok town has taken part in the joint army exercise in Belorussia in June 2006.
• Mi-28D - simplified daylight operation version. Similar to Mi-28N, but without top-mounted radar and TV-channel in sight. Unit price USD 15M..17M.
• Mi-28NAe - export version offered to North Korea.
• Mi-40 - armed transport version.

Yet another variant, the Mi-28N, was unveiled in 1995, the N designation meaning "night". The prototype (no. 014) flew on November 14, 1996. The most significant feature is a radar in a round cover above the main rotor, similar to that of the American AH-64D Longbow Apache. It also has improved Tor vision and an aiming device under the nose, including a TV camera and FLIR. Due to funding problems, development was interrupted. A second prototype with an improved rotor design was unveiled in March 2004 at Rosvertol.

A changed military situation after the Cold War made specialized anti-tank helicopters, like Ka-50, less useful. On the other hand, its all-weather two-seater variant Ka-52 had worse performance due to increased weight. The advantages of the Mi-28N, like all-weather action ability, lower cost, and similarity to the Mi-24, have become important. In 2003, a chief of Russian Air Forces stated that Mi-28N will become the standard Russian attack helicopter.

The first serial Mi-28N was passed to the Army. The aircraft joined the two pre-serial machines which were used for army trials. The aircraft entered service in 2006, along with the similar Ka-50/Ka-52. Up to 10 helicopters will be purchased in 2006 of total 300 to be purchased to 2015.

There is an export variant, known as Mi-28NE, and a simpler day-helicopter variant, the Mi-28D, based on the Mi-28N design, but lacking radar and FLIR.