dual-feed automatic cannon, which can
be aimed using the FLIR/TV sight, the
helmet-mounted sight or the head-up
display (HUD). The upgrade still allows
S-8 58mm unguided rockets to be used.
The nine Mi-24Gs were in service
between 2014 and early 2017 but are
today awaiting overhaul. Back in 2014
the Paramount Group signed a joint
venture agreement with Azerbaijan’s
AirTechServices Corporation to form
Paramount Aerospace Azerbaijan to
upgrade the helicopters and xed-wing
aircraft. This rm is expected to lead
maintenance on the Mi-24G eet.
High-tech helicopters
The main ‘Hind’ variant operated by
Azerbaijan is the Mi-35M, of which 24
were acquired in 2010. Deliveries were
completed by January 2014. The Mi-35s
are equipped with night vision goggles,
a turret-mounted IRTV-445MGH infra-
red TV thermal imaging system and
new countermeasures equipment. The
weapons package comprises 9K114
‘Shturm-V’ (AT-6 ‘Spiral’) anti-tank
missiles, 80mm S-8 and 240mm S-24
unguided rockets, as well as either a
single 12.7mm 9-A-629 machine gun
or two 7.62mm 9-A-622 machine guns/
one 30mm 9-A-800 grenade launcher.
They can carry 50kg (110lb) to 500kg
(1,100lb) bombs.
‘Shturm-V’ anti-tank missiles and ‘Igla-V’
air-to-air missiles, S-8 unguided rockets
or bombs. The nose turret is tted with a
GSh-231 23mm twin-barrel cannon. One
of the pilots stated, ‘The Mi-35 is heavy,
so we try to keep the materiel we carry
with us as light as possible’. Round the
clock, two Mi-24V/Mi-35Ms are kept on
quick reaction alert (QRA) and can be
airborne in eight minutes from the initial
order to launch.
The Kala base commander concludes,
‘Our focus is now to have two Mi-17-1sThe Mi-35M has a number of
improvements compared to the older
Mi-24V. It is tted with upgraded
avionics and an improved sensor
package, including a night vision
system. It also has an electro-optical
range nder/targeting system with
thermal imaging guidance, a satellite
positioning and navigation system,
electronic multi-function displays, an
on-board computer and new-generation
jam-proof communications equipment.
The Mi-35M can deliver eight ‘Ataka-V’ orAbove:
On average, 10
new pilots join
the squadrons at
Quala per year.
Students fl y
about 20 hours in
the Mi-17.
Below:
This Mi-35M,
‘503’, sports
non-standard
camoufl age.
Three examples
like this were
seen at Quala.http://www.combataircraft.net // October 2018 87