Russia To Procure 60 Mi-28UB Helicopters

Russia will procure about 60 Mi-28UB helicopters to improve Mi-28N combat training, a Russian Air Force commander said.

“We will purchase four to six [Mi-28UB] helicopters for each unit that has Mi-28N in service,” Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said. “We are planning to procure up to 60 [Mi-28UB] helicopters until 2020”.

He added that the new version would significantly speed up and improve pilot training.

The Mi-28UB is a combat training variant of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that can be operated both from the pilot's cockpit and the flight instructor's cockpit as it is equipped with a dual hydromechanical flight control system.

Mi-28N is the latest modification of the Mi-28 Havoc attack helicopter. It has been designed to conduct hunter-killer missions against main battle tanks, helicopters, ground forces, and fortified defense positions in any weather conditions, day and night.

Russia's Defense Ministry has said it is planning to procure between 45 and 67 Mi-28Ns, and to fully replace the Mi-24 Hind helicopters with Mi-28Ns in the Armed Forces by 2015.