The first batch of new Mi-8AMTSh (Terminator) helicopters, consisting of ten copies, entered service with the army aviation combat regiment in the Kuban.
On this occasion, on the territory of the military airfield of the 393rd helicopter base in Korenovsk, where the regiment is located, a solemn ceremony was held, which was attended by the officers of the regiment, officials and journalists. Military pilots even managed to test combat pilots during a flight from the manufacturer's plant (Ulan-Ude) to their destination in Korenovsk, flying a total of 1,085 kilometers.
393rd Helicopter Base
The commander of the air regiment, Colonel Ryafagat Khabibullin, in general, highly appreciated the reliability and new capabilities of the Terminators.
Colonel Ryafagat Khabibullin
In particular, he said: “The flight from Ulan-Ude to Korenovsk gave us an excellent opportunity to test in-flight the reliability of both the helicopters themselves and the electronic equipment that we were able to test under various weather conditions”.
Khabibullina's deputy, first-class pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Oreshenkov, also shared his impressions of the flight: “In daytime piloting, the designers have not invented significantly new opportunities, in comparison, for example, with the Mi-8. But the night use of the Mi-8AMTSh showed that we have a helicopter capable of conducting independent, full-fledged combat operations at night. This is really a new feature, inherent only in "Terminators" - said Oreshenkov.
The main task of the new combat vehicle, according to Oreshenkov: “The task is to suddenly emerge from an ambush in a combat zone, quickly land an assault force, launch missiles and quickly move to another area or back into an ambush. Terminators can perform all of these actions at night. The "highlight" of the new helicopter is its armament, which included "Storm" or "Attack" guided missiles and air-to-air missiles "Igla" - Oreshenkov also noted.
Another innovation of the Mi-8AMTSh was highlighted by the flight commander, Major Alexander Barsukov, a first-class pilot, this is what he told reporters: “In the current pace of military conflicts, a helicopter has only a few tens of seconds for landing. If the helicopter pilots hesitate, there is a high probability that the helicopter will be shot down. It is to reduce the time of the landing on the Terminators that sliding doors and an automatic ramp are opened from both sides, replacing the mechanical doors."
The possibility of covert night movement of new helicopters is ensured by the use of night vision goggles by pilots. Since there was no such opportunity before, some of the regiment's flight personnel had to learn more. You will also have to learn from the technical staff, on whose actions a lot depends on the successful departure of the helicopter.
Equipping helicopter regiments with the latest combat vehicles, such as the Mi-8AMTSh (Terminator), undoubtedly, significantly increases the combat readiness of army aviation and makes it possible to detect enemy bases and conduct reconnaissance with greater efficiency. Many military experts believe that the accelerated development of army aviation, which occurs while building up the combat capabilities of the army's ground forces, can finally make army aviation one of the main means of fighting an external enemy, which has good prospects. Against this background, assault aviation will go into the shadows, which, for example, is confirmed by the beginning of the reduction of assault aviation regiments.
Also, to the above features of the helicopter, it should be added that all Mi-8AMTSh helicopters, in addition to night vision goggles, are equipped with GLONASS and GPS satellite navigation, which allows pilots to freely navigate at any time of the day and two radio stations, for uninterrupted communication between the ground and the crews. The terminator can take on board up to 34 airborne or reconnaissance soldiers.
Export version of the Mi-8AMTSh (Mi-171Sh) helicopter
