The world’s combat helicopters have undergone great changes since their appearance over the battlefields (which happened during the years of World War II). The army commanders in those days did not attach much importance to them, playing the role of auxiliary means: rotorcraft was used mainly for the evacuation of wounded from hard-to-reach areas of the fronts. So it was in Korea. The situation began to change in Vietnam when the US Army used these machines to attack ground targets, equipping them with small arms and missile weapons, and then received the first attack helicopters. Similar metamorphoses also occurred in the USSR, although with some differences in approaches. Ultimately, Soviet military experts recognized the advantages of the American line of development for attack front-wing helicopter. The result of a change in the approach of domestic aircraft manufacturers was the Mi-28N helicopter. At the moment, he is considered the best in his class. This is exactly the case when it was possible to "catch up and overtake."
Attack aircraft
During World War II, the main means of delivering targeted strikes against headquarters, communications centers, tank columns, and other relatively small targets was an attack aircraft. In the first tragic days of the war, the Junkers-87 bombs fell on the heads of our soldiers, which had fairly modest flight characteristics, but fully realized the advantages of surprise. Created by Ilyushin Design Bureau "Flying Tank" IL-2 had several advantages over the German counterpart, the main of which was amazing survivability, due to a well-thought-out rational layout and powerful armor, combined with a frame-bearing function. Nobody even thought about using helicopters as attack aircraft, and these aircraft themselves were perceived rather as ridiculous exotic, unsuitable for military purposes. Two decades later, the helicopter will inherit the best features of “flying tanks” and become the main strike unit of air support for troops during tactical operations.
Huey and Cobra
UH-1 "Iroquois", nicknamed the American soldiers "Huey", due to its characteristics, has become one of the most mass-produced rotorcraft in human history. It is reliable, easy to operate, can carry a lot of payload with small dimensions. This multi-purpose helicopter, used it as a means of landing, flying an ambulance or an air truck. UH-1 also performed fire support tasks, but it could not be called a full-fledged drummer. The reason for the Huey's vulnerability was the lack of armor protection — only pilot seats and fuel tanks had it. However, the successful layout and powerful propulsion system found application in another machine, the Cobra AH-1, developed by the same Bell company. The narrow predatory fuselage was replaced by the wide “body” of the “Huey”, the pilots were placed in tandem, one after another, their functions were divided. While one was driving the car, the second sought to detect and destroy the enemy. There was no longer anyone in the car; the entire useful weight was eaten by armor and weapons. The Mi-28N combat helicopter in its basic scheme is built in the same way.
Soviet way of development of combat helicopters
Meanwhile, in the USSR, aircraft designers tried to combine airborne and strike functions in one machine. To do this, the same technique of “borrowing” the power plant and layout scheme was used, only the Mi-8, the most common Soviet helicopter, was taken as the basis. The result was generally quite good, but the car was too big and heavy. Mi-24 helicopters looked more powerful and impressive than the small Cobras, but they were inferior to them in maneuverability, the possibilities of a secretive approach to the target and vulnerability. It is always more correct to use someone else's experience, and he showed that combining two functions in one machine does not benefit any of them. In addition, since the Vietnam War, the Americans continued to develop attack helicopters, creating the Apache AH-64, which has serious information equipment and became the world's first conceptual helicopter wing attack aircraft. Afghanistan clearly showed that the army needed new combat helicopters.
The task is to see in the dark
The Mi-28 helicopter, which already in the mid-80s began to produce the Rostov Helicopter Plant, can be called an analogue of Apache. The car turned out to be very good, in many ways superior to the overseas counterpart. However, the experience of the combat use by the Americans of their helicopters during several armed conflicts revealed many systemic flaws. It turned out that in the dark or in conditions of poor visibility, Apaches behave unpredictably. During the “Desert Storm”, the US Army lost several vehicles due to collisions with the ground and among themselves, despite the presence of night vision systems. Effective “work” in the dark was out of the question. The federal troops in Chechnya also faced the same problems. Partisan warfare tactics are most effective just at night. In the dark, the enemy maneuvers, regroups and delivers sudden strikes, after which, as a rule, he successfully retreats to a safe place. Only a helicopter, a “night hunter,” who sees in darkness and fog, can resist this tactic.
The new helicopter and its main differences
In front of the collective bureau them. M.L. Mil was a difficult task. It was almost impossible to develop a new car in the early nineties, it simply did not have enough funding. The basis was taken Mi-28A, a modernized modification of the Mi-28. The assembly line at the plant in Rostov, it was desirable not to undergo major changes, the production has already been debugged. However, the need to revise many constructive and informational schemes is already ripe. The Mi-28A and Mi-26H helicopters are very similar in appearance. But under a similar "appearance" there is a big difference. The changes affected the main gearbox and many other units. Electronics, other components and assemblies became different. The old helicopter left a powerfully armored fuselage, some weapons systems and layout. There is another detail that distinguishes these combat helicopters. Photos of the top of the machine, namely the axis of the rotor, show a ball. It is in it that the all-seeing "eyes" of the hunter are located.
General architecture
The Mi-28 glider is built on the principles corresponding to the concepts of the fifth generation of combat rotary-wing aircraft. 98% of assembly units are made in Russia. The blades are made of composite polymer and have a uniform structure, as well as profiles with special aerodynamic characteristics, which reduces the noise they produce. The bushings, as a rule, do not need lubrication, which greatly simplifies operation. In the process, the designers had to ensure that the Mi-28N Night Hunter in terms of flight performance (take-off weight - 10.5 tons, speed - 300 km / h, ceiling - 3600 m static, 6000 m dynamic, combat load - over 2 r) not inferior to the basic model, capable of performing aerobatics, subject to the borrowed principles of layout, booking and duplication of the main vital nodes. The peculiarities of the approach consisted of making a certain cyberorganism out of the machine with its own sensors and the ability to instantly respond to threats that arise during the performance of a combat mission.
ACS
The control system is as integrated as possible. All data necessary to complete the task is displayed on three screens in each of the two isolated cabins. Information processing is carried out by three on-board computers and several peripheral processors. The interface has an open architecture, which simplifies the rapid change of tasks. The ergonomics of the cabs are perfected.
The Mi-28N “Night Hunter” helicopter determines its own coordinates. For this, his control system receives all the information from external objective sources: thermal imaging sensors, optical cameras and an on-board locator (Arbalet radar) located on the rotor axis. Thanks to information about the spatial position, many important features of the machine’s behavior are provided, such as the ability to fly at extremely low altitudes (from 5 meters), automatic deviation from obstacles (poles, trees, power transmission towers, etc.), not to mention a collision with the ground.
Artillery weapons
The main goal for which the Night Hunter helicopter was created is to conduct combat operations in conditions of low visibility and in its complete absence. Its predecessor, the Mi-28, is an outstanding vehicle in all respects, including in terms of firepower, which is why the range of weapons of the Mi-24N in general repeats the equipment of the prototype. The 30 mm cannon in the bow remained the same (2A42), as well as its rotary mechanism, which makes it possible to shoot at the rear hemisphere (up to 110 degrees) and a deviation of 53 degrees vertically. Perhaps it will be replaced by an even more advanced gun, developed specifically for the Mi-28N. The “night hunter” has not yet got rid of a strong recoil that interferes with firing accurately enough. The weight of the gun should be reduced and shifted closer to the center of gravity of the machine, as engineers at KB Mil have already announced.
Rockets
Ataka-B guided missile can hit at any supersonic speed any armored target, even covered by dynamic defense. Interference does not act on it - it will pass through fog, smoke and dust. The new ATAKA-D ATGMs have an increased range of up to 8 km. But not in all cases the crew of the latest Russian helicopter uses these missiles. There are cheaper and simpler weapons that the Mi-28N is armed with. "Night hunter" may well cost NURSY S-13, S-57 or S-80, if high accuracy is not required in combination with armor piercing. Actually, everything that the Mi-24 fought in the arsenal of this helicopter, plus something else. For example, he can set up minefields.
In the case of full-scale hostilities, situations are possible in which enemy aircraft attempt to shoot down the Mi-28N. The "night hunter" will be able to give a fitting rebuff: R-73 air-to-air missiles are able to fight air targets with high maneuverability and speed.
Protection and salvation
The main means of protection for this helicopter is its stealth. He can approach at low altitude, hide behind any obstacle, exposing only his radar. The crew has time to assess the situation, make a decision and attack instantly, bringing down all their firepower on the enemy. Against the enemy’s air defenses, something is also in store. Infrared traps will divert missiles from the vehicle’s thermal footprint, and the UV-26 dipole reflectors will confuse the homing warheads.
Pilot cockpits are equipped with circular bookings. Protection is provided by 10 mm aluminum alloy sheets coated with ceramic layers. Bulletproof glass flashlights have a thickness of 43 mm (frontal) to 22 mm (side). The pilot and operator seats are also separated by armor plate.
This precaution will not seem unnecessary in the face of strong fire resistance. In addition, constructive techniques have been applied that reduce the vulnerability of vital nodes, namely:
- the engines are spaced apart, which reduces the likelihood of their simultaneous failure when a shell hits;
- the helicopter is able to reach the base on one engine, which immediately automatically turns on at full power;
- maximum use of pneumatic automation;
- duplication of the main systems.
Means are also provided for alerting the crew about imminent danger, in the event of a helicopter being captured by the guidance system, they will know about it instantly and will be able to take measures to save the car or, in the most unfavorable course of events, their lives. Ejection works in two modes, the choice of which depends on the height (up to 100 m or more). At the same time, the blades and wing consoles are shot.
A hard landing mode is also provided. Chairs and landing gear are designed in such a way as to extinguish the momentum and reduce the impact force on the ground. In general, KB engineers did everything to ensure that the life of the crew was as low as possible.
Export option
Analysis of the tactical and technical indicators of the “Night Hunter” allows us to conclude that the Russian Armed Forces received the best combat helicopter in the world. He is able to solve combat missions in the most difficult conditions: in complete darkness, fog, among smoke and fire. At the same time, the crew has a high chance to save life even in the most unpleasant battle scenario. It is not surprising that not only the Russian Ministry of Defense, but also other countries wanted to arm their armies with Mi-28N helicopters. Photos of these vehicles with the emblems of the Air Force of Egypt, Algeria and Iraq will appear in the press soon, it is possible that in some Latin American countries they will defend national interests. The Swedish government also showed great interest in the Night Hunters. Of course, the export version differs from the domestic Russian instrumentation and some features of weapons systems.