This second post also has a few errors in it…

Actually the competition between the Ka-50 and the Mi-28A was won by the Ka-50 in the early 90s. Less that two dozen Ka-50s were built due to lack of funds however. Changing requirements however led to a renewed emphasis on night capability and so there was another competition which the Mi-28N won over the Ka-52/Ka-50SH combination.

Production standard Mi-28Ns have flown and it will replace the Mi-24 hind in Russian Army service. The slow production rate means that newer Mi-24s will receive an upgrade to improve performance of the fleet as well as introduce various componments of the Mi-28N into service earlier.

Reported speed is 610m/s.

It technically entered service with the few Ka-50s that were built. There is a range of new weapons based on the Vikhr being developed with ranges from 15km to over 100km, so I guess they will either be made compatible with the Su-25TM or the Mi-28N.

Hinds never carried 40mm grenade launchers. They were 30mm calibre.
The Hind can carry the GUV universal pod. It can carry either two 4 barrel 7.62mm gatling guns plus a single 12.7mm four barrel gatling gun with 1,000 rounds for each 30 cal weapon and over 500 rounds for the 50 cal weapon or it can carry a single 30mm automatic grenade launcher with about 600 grenades.

Interesting that it doesn’t mention the fact that the Soviets/Russians have always preferred to fire weapons in forward flight… hense the use of radio command guidance for their ATGMs instead of wire guided weapons, whereas the west has emphasised firing from the hover behind cover in an ambush type attack. American forces are now adopting the Soviet/Russian method in Iraq as to hover on the battlefield is a rather dangerous manouver due to the widespread availability of RPGs and ATGMs which are very efective against hovering helos.

I thought I would add two inaccuracies:
– The 9M120F is reported to carry a Thermobaric warhead (not HEI)
– Calling the 9A1472 the “Russian Hellfire” is highly missleading. Western sources have always attributed semi-active laser homing to the “hellfireski”, whether it be AT-6, AT-9 or AT-x-16 (to put it politely). Russian doctrine involves field bases and firing of multiple missiles at a single target that an expensive, overly complicated weapon like the AGM-114 would completely contradict. It is a laser beam-rider (Look it up!)

I am very curious about the ATGM developements you mention.
I had heard it suggested by a Russian missile designer that there are two direction missiles are likely to go: A high speed laser beam rider (hypervelocity solid penitrator, ~4-6 seconds for 8kms) or multiple target missiles systems (eg. TRIGAT).

If the second direction is taken it is possible that a radio-command guided system could be used to direct a large number of low-cost missiles at different targets simultaneously -albiet with lower accuracy.

What do you think?