MOSCOW. Aug 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The new upgraded MI-24PN Hind combat transport is to be displayed at the Gelendzhik-based Gidroaviasalon 2004 air show.
"The MI-24PN has entered the inventory only recently, and the air show will in fact become its first public demonstration," a source in the Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
He noted that the helicopter was mass-produced at the Rostov- on-Don-based Rostvertol plant. At the present time the plant has already manufactured several helicopters. Military pilots, who have undergone conversion training on the MI-24PN, emphasize its better flight characteristics, and greater fire power.
"As compared with the MI-24 baseline version, the new helicopter boasts a 1.5-fold greater combat efficiency. While the most important thing consists in the fact that the MI-24PN may be employed both by day and night," the source said.
At the present time the MI-24PN is in service with only the Russian Air Force, but foreign customers, for instance China, Venezuela, etc., also show considerable interest in the new helicopter.
Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin, Air Force deputy commander-in-chief, earlier told Interfax-AVN that "the 4th Air Force/Air Defense Army stationed in the North Caucasus will be the first to get MI-24PN helicopters."
The MI-24PN carries the BREO-24 avionics and Zarevo nighttime IR homing equipment that renders the helicopter the round-the-clock operation capability.
Armament includes the anti-tank missile system with Shturm or Ataka high-precision missiles operational 24 hours a day, unguided projectiles, and in-built and suspended small arms and guns, such as the NPPU-23 gun system with the 23mm GSh-23 gun.
Suspended armament may include up to 16 9M-120/120F/114 anti- tank projectiles of the Ataka-V, 9M-10F, or 9M-114 systems, up to 10 S-13 projectiles, up to 80 S-8 projectiles, suspended gun systems with 23mm guns and allowance of 450 shells, and several air-to-air missiles.