Russian military to purchase 10-15 Mi-28N helicopters per year

[tigershark]

Russian military to purchase 10-15 Mi-28N helicopters per year
ROSTOV-ON-DON, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to purchase at least 10-15 Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters every year until 2015, a ministry official said on Tuesday.

The Mi-28N is the latest variant of the Mi-28 attack helicopter, manufactured by the Rostvertol plant in southern Russia. It has been designed to conduct hunter-killer missions against enemy main battle tanks, helicopters, ground forces and armored equipment day or night in adverse weather conditions.

"The [Mi-28N] procurement program will last until 2015. In the next few years, we are planning to purchase 10-15 helicopters per year, and later increase annual orders," said Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of Armament for the Russian Armed Forces.

Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to purchase at least 45-50 Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopters until 2010, and to fully replace the Mi-24 Hind choppers in the armed forces by 2015.

Link
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080122/97530653.html

[valkyrian]

I can't see how a dedicated anti tank heli like the -28 will replace a troop carrier anti tand like -24. Also i am curious what anti tank heli they will field? already they are commited to the Kamov....

[tigershark]

Just a more modern platform for one reason and maybe general maintenance the Hind series are on the older side. Besides on the battle field there huge targets compared to most gunships or attack types on the market.  I think carrying troops thing is a old cold war throw back which probable isn't worth the space and weight anymore.   

Producing two for some training center doesn't seem like enough sounds like there's a funding problem already.

[Webmaster]

That's right, plus you can nowadays put more effective weapons, countermeasures and sensors fairly easy on the new variants of the Mi-8/17 and other transports. However although the concept of the Hind might be obsolete for Russia's armed forces, it won't be for many others. It's still in production, and I think it will live on for long beyond 2015 elsewhere.

Actually, I can't imagine all of them Hinds being gone from Russian armed forces by 2015 either. At least not solely due to the Mi-28N.

I can see some Hinds being retained by the Russians beyond 2015, for at least CSAR and COIN/anti-terrorism, maybe as a new variant or upgrade. It's such a waste to relinquish such a platform, just because the attack mission will no longer see the need for troops to be carried.