Mil Mi-28 Havoc

Attack helicopter



Apparently the Mil Mi-28 Havoc attack helicopter's design was not as successful as the Ka-50 Hokum

Entered service 2006
Crew 2 men
Dimensions and weight
Length 17 m
Main rotor diameter 17.2 m
Height 3.82 m
Weight (empty) 8.5 t
Weight (maximum take off) 11.5 t
Engines and performance
Engines 2 x Klimov TV3-117VK turboshaft engines
Engine power 2 x 2 466 hp
Maximum speed 320 km/h
Hovering ceiling 3.6 km
Range 460 km
Armament
Cannon 1 x 30-mm cannon
Missiles 9M114 Shturm-C, 9M120 / 9M121F Vikhr or 9A-2200 anti-tank guided missiles


Despite its reported defeat by the Ka-50 Hokum, Mil received an order for a small batch of the Mi-28 Havoc combat helicopters from the Russian armed forces and continues to actively market the type. Currently a total of 24 Mi-28N attack helicopters are in service with the Russian Army. Some sources report that the Mi-28 is also in service with Kenya.

The first of four prototypes made its maiden flight on 10 November 1982. The third and fourth prototypes were completed to Mi-28A standard with uprated engines exhausting via downward-inclined diffusers. The fourth production-standard prototype also had a moving, gyro-stabilized, undernose electro-optical sensor turret and wing-tip pods carrying electronic counter measures and chaff dispensers.

The Mi-28 has a conventional helicopter gunship layout with the pilot in the rear and gunner in front. It is armed with a 30-mm trainable cannon housed in a turret under the nose. Twin 150-round ammunition boxes are co-mounted to traverse, elevate and depress with the gun itself. A total of 300 rounds are carried. The gun is identical to that of Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and uses the same ammunition. This gunship can also carry two pods with 80-mm unguided rockets and 16 anti-tank guided missiles.

It is claimed that this helicopter can not be defeated by a single short-range anti-aircraft missile. Crew compartment is well armored. It withstands hits from 12.7-mm armor-piercing rounds and 20-mm HE-FRAG rounds.

The Mi-28's cockpit is compatible with night vision goggles; the pilot has a head-up display and one CRT on which TV imaging can be displayed. The primary sensor package comprises the optical sights and laser rangefinder in an undernose turret. The crew are protected by energy-absorbing seats and an emergency escape system allows the crew to escape safely by parachute. A hatch in the port side, to the rear of the wing, gives access to the avionics compartment and a space large enough to accommodate two or three passengers during a combat rescue.

In 1994 Russian army funding allowed modification of the first Mi-28A prototype to Mi-28N configuration. This introduced a mast-mounted MMW Kinzhal V or Arbalet radar, composite rotor blades, forward-looking infra-red, an electronic flight instrumentation system cockpit, improved armament options including Igla air-to-air missiles and uprated TV3-117VK engines. The Mi-28N made its first flight in April 1997. This attack helicopter was accepted to service with the Russian Army. First Mi-28N has been delivered in 2006.

Mil also proposes a variant of the Mi-28 for support of amphibious naval assaults.