By the second half of the 70s, the USSR already had a noticeable number of Mi-24 combat helicopters, and the military had accumulated some experience in their operation. Even in the ideal conditions of the exercises, it turned out to be problematic to use "twenty-fours" simultaneously for fire support and landing. In this case, the helicopter turned out to be excessively overloaded and was ineffective as an attack aircraft, and in terms of transport capabilities, it was hopelessly losing to the Mi-8TV. Thus, the generals were forced to admit that the concept of a “flying infantry fighting vehicle,” which is extremely attractive in theory, turned out to be difficult to implement in practice. The Mi-24 helicopters of all modifications clearly lacked thrust-to-weight ratio, while the troop compartment in most combat missions was useless ballast.
Even at the design stage, the Mil OKB designers considered several options for a combat helicopter, including those without a cargo and passenger compartment. Soon after the start of work on the Mi-24 as part of the design of "product 280" in 1970, a full-size mock-up of a combat helicopter was built, which was a variant of the Mi-24 without an airborne cargo cabin and with reinforced armament.
However, the other extreme was the variant of a twin-rotor helicopter of the transverse scheme. According to preliminary calculations, under the wing of a large aspect ratio, it was possible to place a combat load approximately twice that of the Mi-24.
Such a scheme gave certain advantages over a helicopter of a classical layout, but a significant increase in carrying capacity could only be obtained during takeoff with a takeoff run. In addition, the weight and dimensions of the helicopter, as well as its vulnerability, significantly increased, which was ultimately considered unacceptable. Also, various options for a high-speed attack helicopter were considered, with a rigidly fixed main and additional pusher propeller.
Subsequent comprehension of domestic and world experience showed that the most acceptable scheme for a combat helicopter is still the classical one. Due to the congestion of the "Milev" design bureau, further design of the "product 280" stalled, and the "Kamov" version of the Ka-25F combat helicopter, which was mentioned in the previous part of the review, did not arouse military interest.
However, information about the development in the United States of new types of attack anti-tank helicopters seriously worried the Soviet leadership, and on December 16, 1976, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR issued a decree on the development of a new generation combat helicopter. When designing promising combat helicopters, the designers of the Mil and Kamov Design Bureau took into account the experience of creating and using the Mi-24. On the projects of new vehicles, the useless amphibious cockpit was abandoned, due to which it was possible to reduce the size, reduce the take-off weight, increase the thrust-to-weight ratio and combat load.
In the second half of the 70s, the main characteristics of a promising combat helicopter were determined: a maximum speed of up to 350 km / h, a static ceiling of more than 3000 m, a combat radius of 200 km, and a combat load of at least 1200 kg. In terms of maneuverability and rate of climb, the new combat vehicle was supposed to surpass both the Mi-24 and the helicopters of a potential enemy. Reservation was carried out with the condition of ensuring the protection of the main units from armor-piercing bullets of 12, 7-mm caliber, and the cockpit from 7, 62-mm bullets. The helicopter was supposed to serve not only as a means of fire support for ground units on the battlefield, but also have expanded capabilities to combat tanks and other armored equipment, accompany transport helicopters, fight enemy helicopters and be able to conduct defensive air combat with fighters. As the main armament for fighting armored vehicles, it was supposed to use guided missiles of the Shturm anti-tank complex and a 30-mm cannon on a movable turret.
In the future, the customer revised his requirements in terms of speed characteristics, reducing the maximum speed to 300 km / h, and the desired weight of the maximum combat load, on the contrary, was increased. The layout of the main units was supposed to provide quick access to them in the field, this was tied to the requirement for the autonomy of combat operations from sites outside the main airfield for 15 days. At the same time, labor costs in preparation for a repeated combat mission, in comparison with the Mi-24, should have been reduced by three times. As a starting point, the Milians took the capabilities of their own Mi-24 and the advertising characteristics of the American AN-64 Apache, which was to be surpassed in terms of basic data.
When creating the helicopter, which received the designation Mi-28, the designers, who understood that the saved kilograms can be used to increase the combat load and enhance the security, starting from the experience of creating a "flying infantry fighting vehicle", paid a lot of attention to weight perfection. It was decided to provide combat survivability by duplicating the most important components and assemblies with their maximum separation, as well as shielding more important units with less important ones. Fuel, hydraulic and pneumatic lines are duplicated. The two engines are spaced apart and shielded by airframe structural elements. A lot of work was done in the creation of combined protection, the choice of materials, the layout and placement of units, the exclusion of catastrophic destruction of the load-bearing structures during combat damage. As with the later modifications of the Mi-24, the fuel tanks of the Mi-28 were protected and protected from explosion by polyurethane. Since the "shoulder-to-shoulder" layout of the crew did not provide optimal viewing angles for the pilot and the operator, made it difficult to escape the helicopter in an emergency and created the preconditions for the simultaneous incapacitation of the entire crew, the "tandem" scheme was used - as in the "twenty-four", starting with the serial modifications of the Mi-24D.
When designing the helicopter assemblies, various options for schemes and design solutions were worked out, new materials were widely introduced. So, at special stands, several variants of the tail and main rotor and new bushings were tested. Promising design solutions were tested on flying laboratories based on the Mi-8 and Mi-24. In practice, not only design solutions, new components and assemblies, but also onboard radio-electronic equipment: autopilot, surveillance and sighting system and weapons were tested. To test the layout of the helicopter, 6 full-size models were built. Very serious research has been carried out in order to ensure the safety of the crew in the event of a helicopter hit by introducing elements of a passive protection system, emergency depreciation and landing gear fixation, shock-resistant seats, and a moving floor. The helicopter's passive protection system was supposed to ensure the survival of the crew during an emergency landing with a vertical speed of up to 12 m / s.
In order to reduce the vulnerability of missiles with an infrared homing head, much attention has been paid to reducing thermal signature. Protection against damage from guided missiles was provided by jamming equipment in the millimeter and centimeter radio frequency range, an optoelectronic countermeasures station and heat traps. Also, the helicopter was supposed to be equipped with warning equipment for radar and laser irradiation.
The prototype of the Mi-28 combat helicopter was built according to the classic single-rotor design. In its bow there was an armored cockpit with two separate protected compartments for the weapons operator and the pilot. The armor protection of the cockpit consisted of 10-mm aluminum armor plates, on top of which 16-mm tiles of ceramic armor were additionally glued. Damaged armor elements can be replaced. The crew was divided among themselves by a 10-mm armored partition. The cockpit glazing is made of silicate bulletproof glass. The windshields of the cockpit are blocks of transparent armor 42 mm thick, and the side windows and glass of the doors are made of the same blocks, but 22 mm thick. The plane-parallel glazing of the cockpit withstands direct hits of armor-piercing bullets with a caliber of 12.7 mm in the windshields and bullets with a caliber of 7.62 mm in the side windows, the armor of the hull is capable of holding single hits of 20-23 mm high-explosive incendiary shells. The door of the weapons operator, who also performs the duties of the navigator, is located on the left side, and the pilot on the right. For emergency exit from the cab, the doors and glass had emergency release mechanisms. Special ladders were inflated under the doors, protecting the crew from hitting the chassis. At the bottom of the bow, on a stabilized platform, a combined observation and sighting station and a cannon mount are mounted. Electronic units of avionics were located under the cockpit floor.
According to the approved terms of reference for the Mi-28, avionics were to be installed, allowing them to pilot and perform a combat mission at any time of the day and in difficult meteorological conditions. In the cockpit of the weapons operator, the control equipment for the anti-tank missile system and the sighting and surveillance system was mounted to search, recognize and track the target when launching guided missiles and firing a cannon. The pilot has a helmet-mounted system at his disposal that provides gun control and an aiming flight and navigation system PrPNK-28.
Unlike the Mi-24, the tricycle landing gear with a tailwheel on the Mi-28 was non-retractable. This increased drag, but made it possible to increase the weight perfection of the helicopter and increase the chances of survival of the crew during an emergency landing. The chassis design includes energy-absorbing hydropneumatic shock absorbers with an additional emergency running. The main lever-type supports make it possible to change the clearance of the helicopter.
The power plant consisted of two TV3-117VM turboshaft engines with a capacity of 1950 hp each. Each engine had the ability to work independently, due to which the flight was ensured when one engine failed. For power supply in the field and quick start of the main engines, an AI-9V auxiliary gas turbine power plant with a power of 3 kW was used. For the new combat helicopter, a five-blade main rotor was created from scratch using polymer composite materials. The main rotor had the same diameter as on the Mi-24, but the blades with a profile with increased curvature create greater lift. The elastomeric main rotor hub, which does not require permanent lubrication, has improved maneuverability and reduced maintenance costs. According to the terms of reference, the propeller had to withstand a chamber of 30 mm shells.
For the first time in the USSR, an X-shaped four-bladed tail rotor was used on the Mi-28. This type of screw can reduce noise and increase efficiency. But due to the lack of completion of the tail rotor design, the Mi-24 tail rotor was used on the first prototypes. The main and tail rotor blades are equipped with an electrical anti-icing system.
The Mi-28 prototype took off from the ground on November 10, 1982. The first prototype of the helicopter did not carry guided weapons and was intended to measure flight performance. Tests of weapons and PrPNK began on the second copy at the end of 1983. By 1986, the main declared characteristics were confirmed, and in a number of parameters they were exceeded. Since the helicopter had significantly greater maneuverability compared to the Mi-24, the military expressed a desire to expand the range of permissible overloads. This was done after the corresponding revision of the hydraulic system and blades. In 1987, the X-shaped tail rotor was completed, after which the appearance, equipment and characteristics of the Mi-28 were finally determined.
A helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight of 11,500 kg could take on board a combat load weighing about 2,000 kg. Fuel weight - 1500 kg. The maximum speed is 282 km / h. Cruising - 260 km / h. Static ceiling - 3450 m.
At the beginning of 1988, tests of the upgraded Mi-28A began. Its first public display took place in 1989 at an aviation festival in Tushino. During the tests, the Mi-28A demonstrated increased flight and combat capabilities. The modernized combat helicopter could perform aerobatics: "barrel" and "Nesterov's loop".
In the comments to the parts devoted to the Mi-24 and Ka-29, there were statements that, unlike the NATO countries, the Soviet Union, due to its overwhelming superiority in tanks, did not need an anti-tank helicopter. Say, that's why the Mi-24 was focused on the use of uncontrolled weapons. However, the history of the appearance of the Su-25T anti-tank attack aircraft and the pronounced anti-tank specialization of promising combat helicopters indicate that the Soviet top military-political leadership considered different options for the development of events in possible conflicts, and therefore did not abandon the creation of flying tank fighters.
Soviet combat helicopters of the new generation, thanks to the use of a rotor with high efficiency in hovering mode, improved maneuverability at low speeds, the use of sighting and observation stations that allow detecting, escorting in automatic mode and using weapons from a maximum distance, gained capabilities previously unavailable for the Mi-24 … Unlike the overweight "twenty-four", the Mi-28 in combat conditions could freely hover in place, jump vertically over obstacles, move sideways and even back. The capabilities of the helicopter made it possible to move at an extremely low altitude along hollows, ravines, and small river beds. Everything made it possible to quickly take an optimal position for the use of guided anti-tank missiles and evade enemy ground air defense systems.
The use of weapons was provided by an automated combined surveillance and sighting system on a gyro-stabilized platform with high resolution and viewing angles: 110 … 110 ° in azimuth and + 13 … -40 ° in elevation. During daylight hours, two optical channels with a wide (3x magnification) and narrow fields of view (13x) can be used. At low illumination levels, an optical-television channel with 20x magnification is used. The laser rangefinder-designator determines the current range to the target. Its data is used by the onboard computer to calculate corrections when firing a cannon, launching an NAR and when using an ATGM.
The standard armament set for the Mi-28 also testifies to its pronounced anti-tank orientation. So from the very beginning on the helicopter as the "main caliber" it was planned to use ATGM "Whirlwind" with a laser guidance system. Although in the future, for a number of reasons, this idea was abandoned, the main arsenal for fighting armored vehicles still inspires respect - up to 16 ATGM "Shturm-V" or "Attack-V". The antenna for transmitting radio commands is located in the nose of the helicopter; the elongated radome of the antenna gives the Mi-28 its characteristic easily recognizable appearance.
The rest of the helicopter's armament also leaves no doubt what it was mainly intended for. But the possibility of using such effective weapons as the NAR in strikes against areal targets with the Mi-28, of course, remained.
However, the number of suspended blocks in comparison with the Mi-24 attack aircraft has been halved. The possibility of equipping additional launchers for unguided missiles is available, but only due to the abandonment of the ATGM.
Otherwise, the Mi-28's armament range is the same as on the later Mi-24 modifications. In addition to ATGM and NAR: R-60M close air combat missile launchers, suspended containers with 23-mm cannons, 30-mm automatic grenade launchers, 12, 7 and 7, 62-mm machine guns, KMGU-2 containers, bombs weighing up to 500 kg and incendiary tanks.
A mobile gun mount with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon can be targeted at high angular velocity. The aiming angles of the electric drive of the gun correspond to the viewing angles of the OPS. The cannon drive is electric. The cannon is powered from ammunition boxes fixed on both sides of the turret. Depending on the nature of the target, the crew can choose the type of projectile (armor-piercing or high-explosive fragmentation) directly during the execution of a combat mission.
In 1993, after passing the first stage of state tests of the Mi-28A, it was decided to prepare it for serial production. However, in the conditions of the emergence of a "market economy", "shock therapy" and political instability, there was no money for this in the "new Russia". The future of the helicopter "hung in the air", in the absence of orders from their own armed forces, foreign buyers were in no hurry to acquire, albeit a very promising, but not a serial machine. In addition, the customer, represented by the RF Ministry of Defense, clearly favored another combat helicopter - the single Ka-50, which was a very serious competitor.
By the second half of the 90s, there was a lag behind the main foreign analogue - the American AH-64D Apache Longbow. The Americans relied on the use of an onboard millimeter-wave radar and modern optoelectronic systems and weapons control processors. This was to significantly expand the capabilities of the helicopter at night and in poor weather conditions, increase the information awareness of the crew, reduce the preparation time for the use of weapons, increase the number of targets fired at the same time and implement the “fire and forget” ATGM regime. In this situation, the leadership of the M. L. Milya decided to proactively develop an all-day modification of the Mi-28N Night Hunter combat helicopter using an overhead antenna of the Arbalet radar complex operating in the millimeter wavelength range.
According to data published in domestic media, the Arbalet radar weighs about 100 kg. In the mode of viewing the earth's surface, the radar is capable of detecting a tank at a distance of 12 km, a column of armored vehicles from a distance of 20 km. In the mapping mode and when flying around the irregularities of the earth's surface, power lines are detected at a distance of 400-500 meters, and relief with a slope of more than 10 ° - 1.5 km.
When working on air targets, a circular view of the space is carried out. An aircraft of Su-25 dimension can be detected at a distance of 15 km, which, taking into account the introduction of the R-73 air combat UR helicopter into the arsenal of the UR helicopter, significantly increases the chances of winning in aerial combat. The radar also captures the missiles attacking the helicopter: for example, the FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS missiles can be seen by the equipment at a distance of 5 km. The reaction time when working on air targets is 0.5 s. The radar complex is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 20 ground or air targets.
However, it was clear that the use of the radar alone would not solve the problem of a sharp increase in combat effectiveness and ensuring all-day use. Optical and thermal imaging sensors, as well as an onboard locator, are integrated into a single control system using computing facilities. At the same time, the equipment of the cockpit and the means of displaying information have undergone a cardinal revision. The pilot and the weapon operator each have three multifunctional liquid crystal displays. Cartographic information about the terrain of the combat area is loaded into the digital data bank and, with a high degree of resolution, forms a three-dimensional image of the area where the helicopter is located. Determining the location of the helicopter with high accuracy is carried out using signals from the satellite positioning system and using an inertial navigation system. The Mi-28N onboard equipment complex provides piloting with terrain bending, both in manual and automatic modes, and allows operation at altitudes of 5-15 m.
The on-board communications complex exchanges information (including in a closed mode) with the command posts of the ground forces, as well as between helicopters in the group and other users with the necessary communications equipment. The helicopter crew also has the ability to receive external target designation.
The security of the Mi-28N is at the level of the Mi-28A, but during its design, measures were introduced to reduce radar, visual and thermal signature, as well as reduce noise, which should reduce vulnerability to ground-based air defense systems.
Due to the presence of a radar station with a nadzuchnuyu antenna, the crew of the Mi-28N has the ability to search for targets, avoiding visual detection by the enemy. Having exposed the "top" of the antenna because of the natural cover on the terrain (hills, tree crowns, buildings, etc.), you can covertly search for targets, not only for yourself, but for other machines participating in the attack. Having outlined the targets of the strike, the combat helicopter makes a vigorous "jump" and carries out an attack with supersonic ATGMs. A number of domestic sources say that thanks to the Arbalet radar, Ataka-V missiles with a radio command guidance system can be used around the clock in the "fired and forget" mode, but how much this is true is difficult to say.
The armament of the "Night Hunter" is generally similar to the Mi-28A, but thanks to the updated avionics, the combat capabilities of the helicopter have significantly increased. But, apparently, the Arbalet stations are not installed on all Mi-28Ns. There are many photographs of combat vehicles that do not have a radar overhead antenna.
During the development of the Mi-28N, the designers faced the problem of maintaining the high performance characteristics of the helicopter under conditions of a sharp increase in the functional load. It was required not only to give the helicopter "all-day", the ability to fly around the terrain, to improve search and reconnaissance qualities, but also to maintain high maneuverability. Aerobatics - rolls and coups with a subsequent turn, not only look spectacular at air shows, but also allow you to evade enemy attacks and take an advantageous position in aerial combat.
As a result, the developers managed to implement their plans without losing flight data. Normal operational overload of the Mi-28N is 3g, which is a lot for a helicopter. The helicopter is capable of performing: Nesterov's loop, Immelman's turn, a barrel, flying sideways, backward, sideways at a speed of up to 100 km / h, a turn with an angular speed of up to 117 degrees / s, with a maximum angular rate of roll of more than 100 deg / s. The maximum take-off weight of the "Night Hunter" increased to 12100 kg, to compensate for this, the helicopter was equipped with Ukrainian-made TV3-117VMA engines with a takeoff power of 2200 hp.
After the collapse of the USSR, it so happened that the production facilities for the construction of helicopters remained in Russia, and the production of engines for them in Ukraine. In the early 2000s, Russia decided to create its own completely independent production of helicopter engines on the basis of JSC Klimov. In 2011, a new aircraft engine plant was laid near St. Petersburg, and in 2014 the first stage of the plant was commissioned. Since relatively recently, Russian VK-2500P engines with a take-off power of 2,400 hp have been installed on the Mi-28Ns under construction. with. and with reduced specific fuel consumption. The emergency mode allows you to remove the power of 2800 hp for 2, 5 minutes. VK-2500P engines are equipped with a modern electronic control system and fire protection. Thanks to the introduction of new design solutions, increased reliability of operation at high temperatures and in high mountains is ensured.
With VK-2500P engines, the maximum speed of the Mi-28N is 305 km / h. Cruising - 270 km / h. The mass of the combat load is 2300 kg. The rate of climb is 13.6 m / s. The static ceiling is 3600 m. In domestic sources, the indicated practical flight range ranges from 450 to 500 km. At the same time, the combat radius of action must exceed 200 km.
The Mi-28N helicopter took off for the first time on November 14, 1996. In 2005, a contract was signed for the supply of 67 Mi-28N helicopters by 2013. The first Mi-28N from the pre-production batch was handed over to the armed forces on June 5, 2006. The first 4 Mi-28Ns of serial construction entered the Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Army Aviation Flight Personnel in 2008. According to foreign military reference books, as of 2016, the Russian Armed Forces had more than 90 Mi-28N and combat training Mi-28UB.
Improvement of the Mi-28N continues. The Russian media reported that flight tests of the Mi-28NM helicopter (product 296) began in July 2016. While maintaining the main structural elements, the main part of the avionics underwent processing. The most noticeable external difference is the absence of a nose cone for an antenna of a guided missile guidance station on the new vehicle. There is information according to which the helicopter's arsenal will now include an ATGM guided by a laser beam. For this, a target designator range finder can be used, which is part of the optoelectronic survey station. According to other data, ATGMs can be with a semi-active radar guidance system. This will increase the noise immunity and can increase the number of simultaneously fired targets. The detection and illumination of targets will be carried out by the N025 radar with the antenna placed in a spherical nadulok fairing. It is reported that the locators are planned to be installed on all production Mi-28NM helicopters.
The avionics of the new helicopter include a helmet-mounted target designation and indication system with stereo vision. It is designed for operational guidance of airborne weapons by turning the pilot's head. The image from the computer vision system (including the aiming mark) is projected onto a screen mounted on the pilot's helmet, and does not interfere with visually monitoring the external situation.
For the first time in domestic practice, on all serial Mi-28NM helicopters, in addition to the traditional radar jamming station and equipment for shooting heat traps, it is planned to use a laser system for countering missiles with IR seeker. Survival will also increase the presence of controls in the cockpit of the navigator-operator, he will be able to take control of the machine and return to the airfield in the event of a pilot out of action.
It is possible that the changes will also affect the artillery armament of the helicopter. Earlier, representatives of the design bureau have repeatedly stated the need to install a new lighter and more accurate 30-mm gun on the helicopter. State tests of the upgraded Mi-28NM combat helicopter were planned to begin at the end of 2017.
The first buyer of the Mi-28NE was Iraq, which ordered 15 helicopters in 2012. For export supplies, a modification of the Mi-28NE has been developed. Contrary to popular belief, export vehicles do not have "cut down" combat characteristics and differ from those in service with the RF Armed Forces by means of communication and the state identification system. The export price of the Mi-28NE has not been officially disclosed, but according to expert estimates, it is $ 18-20 million, which is about 2.5-3 times less than the cost of the AH-64D Apache Longbow (Block III).
In accordance with the wishes of foreign customers, the Mi-28NE is equipped with a dual control system, which allows piloting from the cockpit of the navigator-operator and an airborne radar with an overhead antenna.
Algeria turned out to be an even more fastidious customer. Combat helicopters intended for this country are equipped with new-generation N025E radar stations and a laser anti-air defense system, which is not yet available in the Russian armed forces. In March 2014, Algeria ordered 42 Mi-28NEs, the first batch of helicopters has already been handed over to the customer.
Despite the fact that the Mi-28N was recently adopted for service and not too many of them were built, the helicopter has already managed to positively prove itself in combat. The Iraqi Mi-28NE and Mi-35M are actively involved in hostilities against the Islamists. Iraqi combat helicopters provided significant support to ground forces during the battle for Mosul and attacked enemy positions in the Fallujah area. According to the statements of the Iraqi representatives, in this case, as a rule, unguided weapons were used - mainly the 80-mm NAR S-8. After the launch of unguided rockets, they often fired from 30-mm cannons. The objects of attack by combat helicopters were various fortifications and defense units, artillery and mortar positions and places of accumulation of manpower. Guided missile weapons were used relatively rarely, the targets for the ATGM were mainly various vehicles and pickups with weapons. In a number of cases, guided missiles were used at individual firing points and observation posts. The combat missions of the Night Hunters were carried out mainly during the daytime, night flights were of an episodic nature. Thus, it can be stated that taking into account the predominant use of the NAR, the combat effectiveness of the Mi-28NE, on which a very advanced avionics are installed and it is possible to operate effectively at night, is approximately on a par with the Mi-35M. Such use of modern combat helicopters is irrational, and, most likely, is a consequence of the low level of planning of combat operations and poor training of Iraqi crews.
In March 2016, the Aviation Group of the Russian Air Force in Syria was reinforced with several Mi-28Ns. After the announcement of the withdrawal of part of the Russian aviation group, these machines were connected to the direct support of the Syrian government forces. Soon after that, footage of the combat use of anti-tank missiles from Mi-28N helicopters against Islamist armored vehicles in the Syrian Palmyra region was published. Also on the record there is footage with the destruction of the building in which the militants took refuge. Unlike the Iraqis, our crews, along with the NAR and cannons, used guided missiles quite actively, including at night.
Unfortunately, there were some flight accidents. On April 12, 2016, during a night flight, the Mi-28N crashed, both crew members were killed. Reportedly, the helicopter was not fired upon, but crashed in poor visibility conditions due to the loss of spatial orientation by the pilot. The next incident with the "Night Hunter" in Syria happened on October 6, 2017. In the province of Hama, while performing the task of escorting an Mi-8 helicopter, a Mi-28N helicopter made an emergency landing due to a technical malfunction, the crew was not injured. Inspection of the helicopter showed that there was no enemy fire.
At present, the life cycle of the Mi-28 combat helicopter is, in fact, just beginning. Economic turmoil and the lack of attention of those in power in the past to their own armed forces prevented the establishment of large-scale production and the accumulation of sufficient experience in operating modern helicopter technology. Therefore, the Mi-28N still has no cure for "childhood sores" and its reliability and MTBF is still worse than that of the Mi-35M. It can also be noted that guided weapons and a number of on-board electronic systems, developed back in Soviet times, no longer fully meet modern requirements. However, all this is quite solvable: if there is political will and the allocation of the necessary resources, the new modifications of the Mi-28 are capable of meeting the highest world standards and compete with the combat helicopters of “probable partners”.
