Russian Mi‑28N helicopter losses deepen military woes
Russian military bloggers report the probable loss of another Mi-28N attack helicopter along with its crew. Here's what one of the most dangerous Russian helicopters is capable of.
The Russians have allegedly lost a Mi-28N helicopter, which is their second most advanced model after the Ka-52 Alligator. Judging by the tone of Russian military bloggers, it seems the pilots did not survive. This is likely the 16th helicopter, considering 15 instances where photos of wreckage appeared online.
It's worth noting that the loss of each such machine is a severe blow to the Russians since they only had about a hundred of these helicopters before the war. However, this is only a theoretical value, as the available number of machines for combat operations would be significantly lower.
For the Russians, this may be 50% of the machines or even significantly less since the process of cannibalizing parts to maintain other helicopters in service is already widespread there. Russia may actually have as few as 30 helicopters of this type in service.
The Mi-28N is one of three modern attack helicopters produced by Russia, alongside the Ka-52 Alligator and the Mi-35, a modification of the Mi-24. The Russians began work on the Mi-28N back in the 1980s, but the first units reached the Russian Air Force in 2006, and they were officially accepted into service only in 2009.
Structurally, the Mi-28N is a narrow-bodied attack helicopter in a classic design with a main rotor and a smaller tail rotor. Its crew consists of two pilots seated in tandem, similar to helicopters like the AH-64 Apache and AH-1Z Viper.
The pilots’ cabin is armoured, as expected for an attack design, and according to the Russians, it is supposed to withstand fire from large-calibre machine guns of 12.7 mm or shrapnel. The helicopters are also equipped with accessories necessary for night flight, and the pilots have helmet-mounted sights for faster target elimination.
The Mi-28N's primary armament is a 30 mm 2A42-2 cannon located at the front fuselage, with a supply of 250 rounds of ammunition. Additional armament can be mounted on four pylons located on the stub wings. These allow the carrying of popular S-8 unguided rocket pods, but the most dangerous weapon is the 9M120 Ataka anti-tank guided missiles with a range of up to 6 kilometres, grouped in fours.
The maximum anti-tank load could include up to 16 missiles. Additionally, it is possible to carry pods with 23 mm cannons, fuel tanks, electronic warfare pods, or 9K333 Verba missiles for self-defence against other helicopters.
For target detection, an optoelectronic turret with a thermal imaging camera and a laser rangefinder is mounted in the nose. The N025 radar, located above the main rotor, allows for tracking ten objects and simultaneous firing at two of them. Furthermore, detectors of laser beams and radar waves are on board to warn the pilot of the enemy's targeting.
For this reason, the Russians have started pairing these helicopters with the Ka-52 Alligator, which had lesser detection capabilities but is equipped with L-370P2 Vitebsk self-defence systems. Together, they form a mutually complementary threat for Ukrainians.
