Russia’s Mi-28 Havoc Attack Helicopter Has Tiny Crew Compartment To Pick Up Downed Pilots
Rebecca French
Not only is the Mi-28 Havoc a vital part of Russia’s attack helicopter force in the Ukraine war, it has also been in the news recently for its apparent delivery to Iran. Meanwhile, a little-known aspect of the Mi-28 is its ability to transport two to three passengers in a cramped fuselage compartment, a feature clearly visible in a recently released video of the gyroplane.
Relevant footage comes from state-owned Russian television and radio stations The channel shows a Mi-28NM of the Russian Aerospace Forces (the latest domestic version of the armed helicopter) conducting a pre-flight inspection at a forward airfield somewhere in the conflict zone in Ukraine. The video was reportedly filmed this month.
The video begins with a technician working on a hose that enters the helicopter’s port rear fuselage through an open door. Typically, this type of hose is connected to a dehumidifier unit, which then blows warm, dry air through the aircraft to keep everything dry. This is especially important for sensitive avionics in cold weather, such as at this snowy airport. Once the helicopter is fully powered up, it should be kept warm enough so moisture doesn’t become a problem.
This is perhaps the best view of the Mi-28’s rear fuselage bay with the access door open. byX
Most interesting of all, however, is that the open door provides a rare look into the rear compartment of this fuselage, which can accommodate two to three people, or an equivalent load of cargo. Of course, this does not include the two crew members sitting side by side in the Mi-28 cockpit – the weapons system operator/navigator in the front and the pilot in the back.
The fuselage bay is unique among active attack helicopters and was part of the Mi-28 design when it was first designed in the second half of the 1970s. The Soviet Union once ordered Mir to design a new generation combat helicopter, equivalent to the American AH-64 Apache, but this function is entirely its own.
The configuration of the Mi-28 was broadly similar to that of the AH-64, but marked a significant shift from the philosophy pursued by the previous Mi-24 Hind. As we’ve discussed in the past, the Mi-24 was built around a passenger/cargo bay to accommodate a squad of infantry, although as it evolved it also expanded its anti-armor capabilities.
Detour video of a privately owned American Mi-24. Details of the passenger/cargo cabin can be seen around 11:30:
In contrast, the Mi-28 is a tank killer first, has no cab, and has better overall performance. However, the interior space can accommodate a much smaller compartment, which can be very useful for rescuing downed pilots from the battlefield, especially for catching pilots who have fallen on the same flight. This makes sense given the expected aircraft losses on the central European front – especially low-flying helicopters.
Other tasks may include moving mechanics and tools to perform limited maintenance on other helicopters during emergencies. It’s even possible it could be used to insert and pick up Infiltrators or Vandals.
have Options Using the Mi-28 as an ad hoc or non-traditional Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) asset also means that the aircraft can fly on its own if no other air or ground assets are available. Traditionally, CSAR helicopters must have an armed escort. It is unclear whether the cabin was used in the Ukraine war, but the limited space, presence of avionics and complete lack of windows meant it was only suitable for emergencies. For more typical CSAR missions in the Ukrainian theater, Mi-8 Hips and Mi-24s are typically used, escorted by Mi-28 or Ka-52 Hokum attack helicopters.
A close-up view of the Mi-28’s rear fuselage compartment reveals how cramped it is, including the presence of avionics. byX
As for other types of attack helicopters attempting to rescue personnel, perhaps the most famous incident was the January 2007 incident involving two British Army Apache helicopter gunships in Afghanistan. During the dramatic mission, four Royal Marines strapped themselves outside two Apache helicopters in an attempted combat rescue. In the end, they could only recover the body of their fallen comrade, Private First Class Ford.
The Italian Army has also explored the concept of using an A129 Mangusta attack helicopter for personnel rescue, strapping two soldiers to the main landing gear struts. Meanwhile, U.S. Army Special Operations Command uses MH-6M Little Birds with side-mounted panels for external airlift of special operators. A more complex modular system was designed for the Bell 360 Invictus armed reconnaissance helicopter for transporting small numbers of personnel, which you can read here.
This image depicts four people sitting on a modular seating system installed in the weapons bay of a 360 Invictus helicopter. USPTO
It is also worth pointing out another planned “survival” feature of the Mi-28, namely its crew escape system. Unlike the Ka-52, the Mi-28 does not have an ejection seat. In contrast, the Zvezda/Tomilino Pamir-K passenger seat’s seat belt automatically tightens when high G-force loads are encountered. As originally envisioned, the crew escape system would work as follows. In the event of any catastrophic failure at high altitude, the cockpit door would be blown off, the stub wings would be jettisoned along with the load, and the inflatable sill covers would be filled with air. This is to protect the crew from protruding main landing gear and cannons, and to help them escape from the helicopter and return to the ground via parachute. At least in theory.
Ka-52 Alligator and its unique K-37-800M ejection seat. Before the rocket in the ejection seat deployed, the rotor blades were blown apart by the explosives in the rotor disk and the canopy was jettisoned. pic.twitter.com/BzPP9SNXMZ
In fact, the crew escape system on the Mi-28 appears to have never reached operational status, possibly because of the very limited window in which it was actually used.
According to the Oryx open-source tracking group, Russia has lost 19 Mi-28s since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. This number is likely higher, as Oryx only lists losses that can be confirmed visually. Russia began the conflict with a force of approximately 110 Mi-28s of various models.
The Mi-28 has quite a history, having first flown in prototype form in 1982. The original Havoc was abandoned in the early 1990s, and Mil continued development of a radar-equipped, night-capable Mi-28N version. Deliveries of production Mi-28N helicopters to Russia began in 2008, and export versions have been sold to Algeria, Iraq, Uganda and apparently now to Iran.
For Russia, the basic version remains the Mi-28N, which has also seen combat operations in Syria since 2016.
Less common is the Mi-28UB (only 24 were produced), which was equipped with a mast-mounted radar and dual controls missing from the Mi-28N. As for the latest Mi-28NM version (shown in the video above), it also features a mast-mounted radar and other changes, including new missiles. In addition to large orders for Russia, there are plans to upgrade older Mi-28N aircraft to Mi-28NM standard.
Video of a Mi-28UB equipped with radar during a live-fire exercise in the Krasnodar region in March 2020:
Despite all the changes the Mi-28 has undergone since its first appearance, its highly compact passenger compartment remains one of its most unusual features.
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