The Mil Mi-24 is a Soviet twin-turboshaft attack helicopter that also carries up to eight troops, a combination its crews called the flying infantry fighting vehicle. First flown in 1969, 2,648 have been built and it has been used by more than 50 countries. Developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant.
The Mil Mi-24 is a Soviet twin-turboshaft attack helicopter that also carries up to eight troops, a combination its crews called the flying infantry fighting vehicle. Developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant.
Photo: Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSee Specifications for full detail.
The Mil Mi-24, known by the NATO reporting name Hind, is a Soviet twin-turboshaft attack helicopter that also carries up to eight troops. Mikhail Mil conceived it in the early 1960s as a flying infantry fighting vehicle that could provide fire support and move soldiers. [1]
It first flew on 19 September 1969 and entered service in 1971 and 1972. 2,648 have been built, and it has been in production ever since, with export versions designated Mi-25 and Mi-35. [1]
The first mock-up, the V-24, was shown in 1966 at factory 329 in Moscow, where Mil was head designer. It was based on the V-22 utility helicopter project, which never flew. A directive of 6 May 1968 approved the twin-engine design. [1]
Flight tests began on 15 September 1969 with a tethered hover, and free flight followed four days later. Mil died in 1970, before the type entered service. Initial operating capability came in 1971 and the helicopter was officially accepted into the Soviet arsenal in 1972. [1]
The Mi-24 carries a crew of two pilots and a weapons system officer, with a central compartment for eight passengers or four stretchers and up to 2,400 kg of external sling cargo. The cockpit tub is titanium-armoured, the windscreens are ballistic-resistant and the cockpit and crew compartment are overpressurised for nuclear, biological and chemical protection. [1]
Armament varies by version. The original had a 12.7 mm Yak-B gun in the chin turret, later versions used a twin-barrel GSh-23L and the Mi-24P has a fixed GSh-30K. The two stub wings give six hardpoints for S-5 and S-8 rockets, 9K114 Shturm (AT-6) anti-tank missiles, bombs up to 500 kg and R-60 air-to-air missiles. Two Isotov TV3-117 turboshafts of 2,200 shp each give a top speed of 200 mph. [1]
The Mi-24 first fought in the Ogaden War in Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978, partly flown by Russian pilots. In the Soviet-Afghan War it was used heavily against the Mujahideen, and Russian sources report 74 losses, including 27 to Stinger missiles and two to Redeyes. The last Soviet Mi-24 shot down, on 2 February 1989, lost both crew. [1]
In the Iran-Iraq War, Iraqi Mi-25s fought Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras in the only confirmed air-to-air battles between helicopters, and 10 SeaCobras and six Mi-25s were destroyed. The A-10, a modified Mi-24B, set an absolute helicopter speed record of 368.4 km/h on 21 September 1978, which stood until a modified Westland Lynx broke it in 1986. [1]
More than 50 countries have operated the Mi-24. A Polish Mi-24 caught fire on takeoff from Ghazni on 26 January 2011 and all five soldiers aboard escaped unharmed, and three Ugandan Mi-24s crashed in Kenya in 2012 on their way to Somalia. Insurgents shot down an Ethiopian Mi-24 during the Battle of Mogadishu on 30 March 2007. [1]
Brazil paid a reported $12.5 million each for twelve modernised Mi-35M gunships in the late 2000s. A Ukrainian Mi-24 was lost over Brovary on 8 March 2022, killing both pilots. [2] [1]
The Mil Mi-24 has a top speed of 174 kn (200 mph / 320 km/h).
A total of 2,648 were built. Production is still ongoing.
Yes, the Mil Mi-24 is still in service.
The Mil Mi-24 first flew on September 19th 1969.
The Mil Mi-24 has a range of 280 mi (450 km, 243 nmi).
Mi-24s are preserved in museums in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Military Mi-24s rarely broadcast a position, so sightings on Flightradar24 are rare. Filter for type MI24 and look for civil-registered or foreign-operated aircraft.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 174 kn (200 mph / 320 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | 170 mph |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | 280 mi |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 18,860 ft |
| Rate of Climb | 2,950 ft/min (15 m/s) |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Main Rotor Diameter | 56 ft 5 in |
| Length | 65 ft rotors turning; 57 ft 5 in fuselage |
| Height | 21 ft 4 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: 18,739 lb; MTOW: 26,455 lb |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 2 x Isotov TV3-117 turboshafts, 2,200 shp (1,600 kW) each |
| ArmamentArmament — The weapons an aircraft can carry: guns, missiles, bombs and rockets, whether mounted internally, on wing hardpoints, or in bomb bays. Glossary → | Chin turret or fixed gun (12.7 mm Yak-B, twin-barrel GSh-23L or fixed GSh-30K by variant); six hardpoints on the stub wings for S-5 and S-8 rockets, 9K114 Shturm (AT-6) anti-tank missiles, bombs up to 500 kg (1,102 lb) and R-60 air-to-air missiles |
| Crew | 2 pilots, 1 weapons system officer and 1 optional technician |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | 8 passengers or 4 stretchers, plus up to 2,400 kg (5,291 lb) of external sling cargo |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant |
| Origin | Russia |
| First Flight | September 19th 1969 |
| Service Entry | 1972 |
| Number Built | 2,648 |
| Unit Cost | Reported: ~$19.6M (unconfirmed) |
| Combat Losses | Russian sources report 74 Mi-24s lost in the Soviet-Afghan War, including 27 to Stinger and two to Redeye missiles. In the Iran-Iraq War, six Iraqi Mi-25s were destroyed in clashes with Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras. |
5 notable events involving the Mi-24 Hind, 1969 to 2022. 4 deaths are recorded across the 3 of these with a figure listed. Curated rather than exhaustive.
Free flight began four days after the first tethered hover on 15 September 1969.
The A-10, a modified Mi-24B, flew at 368.4 km/h (228.9 mph) over a 15/25 km course. The record stood until 1986.
The last Mi-24 lost by Soviet forces in Afghanistan was shot down, killing both crew.
A Polish ISAF Mi-24 caught fire during takeoff from Ghazni and all five soldiers aboard escaped unharmed.
A Ukrainian Mi-24 was lost over Brovary, killing both pilots.
| Mi-24A (original) | The first production version, with a 12.7 mm Yak-B gun in the chin turret. Flight tests began on 15 September 1969 with a tethered hover and free flight followed four days later. Initial operating capability was in 1971, and it was officially accepted into the Soviet arsenal in 1972. |
| Mi-24V / Mi-24VM | Later versions replaced the 12.7 mm gun with a twin-barrel GSh-23L, and the armament options include the 9K114 Shturm (AT-6) anti-tank missile. The cockpit and crew compartment are overpressurised for nuclear, biological and chemical protection. |
| Mi-24P | A variant with a fixed twin-barrel GSh-30K cannon in place of the chin-mounted turret. |
| Mi-25 / Mi-35 (export) | The export versions, known by NATO as Hind D and Hind E. Iraqi Mi-25s fought Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras in the Iran-Iraq War, and the modernised Mi-35M sold to Brazil at a reported $12.5 million each in 2009. |
| A-10 (record helicopter) | A modified Mi-24B with its stub wings removed, used to set an absolute helicopter speed record of 368.4 km/h (228.9 mph) over a 15/25 km course on 21 September 1978. It broke an earlier record of 332.65 km/h, set over a 1,000 km closed course on 13 August 1975. |
Mi-24s are preserved in museums in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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