Russia To Deliver Helicopters Worth $4 Billion To Iraq

Iraq will take delivery of 10 Mi-28NE ‘Night Hunter’ attack helicopters from Russian under a multi-billion dollar agreement.

The $4.3 billion arms transfer agreement signed between Moscow and Baghdad includes the transfer of attack helicopters, training of aircrews and technicians, as well as the weapons systems typically employed with these helicopters, Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director at Rosoboronexport said.

The package will also include the transfer of additional armament systems, Mikheyev added.

The Mi-28NE is the export version of the ‘Night Hunter’ produced by the Russian Helicopter Corporation and currently employed with the Russian Army. This helicopter code named ‘HAVOC’ by NATO was developed in the 1980s to counter the US Boeing AH-64 Apache. The typical armament of this helicopter includes a 30mm chin mounted gun, two rocket BL13 rocket pods carrying five S13 (100mm) or 20xS8 (80mm) rockets plus and two pairs of AT-8 ATAKA anti-tank missiles pods each carrying four missiles.

Iraq will be the second international operator of the ‘Night Hunter’. In 2012, Kenya ordered 16 of these helicopters; four have been received so far. Most recently, Rosoboronexport offered the Mi-28NE to India, Venezuela and Algeria, but failed to gain any firm orders.