Combat aircraft

I

N OCTOBER THE Russian Ministry

of Defense announced that its

first Mi-28UBs were ready for

delivery at the Rostvertol aviation

plant in Rostov-on-Don. This

batch represents the first of an

initial 24 examples on order.

The Mi-28UB has been designed to

reduce the risk involved in Mi-28N

pilot training and to improve overall

efficiency. Within the next three years,

the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS)

could have as many as 48 Mi-28UBs in

service at six Army Aviation bases. The

aircraft will not only train Mi-28N and

Mi-28NM pilots but will also be used in

combat if required.

Origins

By 2009 a number of accidents had

occurred during training flights and

criticisms were leveled at Mi-28N pilot

schooling in the VKS. That year, Mil was

commissioned to design and develop

a training variant of its Mi-28 with dual

controls, unlike the standard Mi-28N

that only has controls for the pilot. The

trainer, named Mi-28UB, was primarily

intended to boost the prospects of the

export-oriented Mi-28NE (in which the

‘E’ stands for export).

Actual design work began in 2010,

and construction of the first prototype

was launched in April 2012. It was

based on a 2007-built Mi-28N that

The initial

prototype Mi-28UBs

were produced

through the

conversion of

existing Mi-28N

airframes. Russian

Helicopters/

Erik Romanenko

77

January 2018 http://www.combataircraft.net

Mi-28UB | SPECIAL REPORT

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