MI-24 SUPERHIND HELICOPTER: AFRICAN FLYING CROCODILES

U.S. operated Mi-24P Hind-F

Globally around 60 countries Air Force operate Mi-24 helicopters. Mi 24 is made by Russian company Mil and Mi-24 is one of their most successful projects. Mi 24 has many variants the most successful ones are Mi-35 Hind and ATE Mi-24 Superhind (Superhind MkIII and MkV). The Russian Air force calls it their “Flying Crocodiles”.

Mi 24 vs Stinger Missiles

Mi-24 attack helicopters and its variant have proved their worth in many wars and civil wars. During the Soviet-Afghan war, the Mi 24 was very effective against mujahedeen. Mi 24 lethal weapons like 23 mm gun pod and 80 mm S8 rocket created havoc amongst mujahedeen and they labeled it as Shaitan Arba (Satan’s chariot). Mi-24 was becoming so effective against mujahedeen that CIA had to introduce heat-seeking stinger missiles and new doctrine to counter Mi-24 helicopters. CIA told mujahedeen commanders to not engage Mi 24 while they are in the air but target it with Stinger and Redeye MANPADS when they are most vulnerable that is when they are landing and will not be able to use their weaponry. Mi 24 also proved its mettle in SriLankan civil war, the Indian peacekeeping force who were in SriLanka effectively used them against LTTE and inflicted heavy causalities on LTTE without losing any of Mi 24. The SriLankan air force was impressed by this and brought more Mi-24 to counter LTTE. 

Afghan Mi-35 Hind Helicopters

IAF also employs Mi-35 Hind another superior alternative of Mi 24 Hind. Recently IAF used Mi-35 choppers to successfully defuse a full-blown Fidayeen attack on one of its airbases. According to IAF officials, the PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT WHICH MI-35-HIND CREATES IS AWESOME and will send chills down the spine of even the most hardcore Fidayeen who is ready to die. Recently India gifted four Mi-35 Hind choppers to Afghanistan in its fight against the Taliban. General John Campbell, commander of Allied forces in Afghanistan, said that these Indian Mi-35 helicopters made a great impact in its counter-insurgency operations against the Taliban.

South African ATE SuperHind attack helicopter

As numerous air forces use Mi-24 Hind choppers. The marketplace for enhancements of this kind is therefore huge and there is cutthroat competition for this. The best-known upgrades are provided by Russian, Polish, Indians, and Israeli companies. However, one of the highly successful advancements of Mi-24s ever done was by a South African company named ATE (Advanced Technologies and Engineering). ATE is a company that mostly deals with army helicopter's weaponry and avionics. ATE tailored the MI 24 with new features and named it Super Hind. The ATE started upgrading Mi-24 in 1996. 

ATE brought 2 Mi 24 helicopters to study it for modifications and quickly started upgrading it to Superhind Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, and Mk V levels The ATE engineers studied Mi 24 and figured out that it can be improved with superior avionics, night vision, GPS equipment. The most important problem of Mi 24 was its weight, which reduced its mobility. Their engineers started working on these matters in full swing and modified Mi 24 hind to Mi 24 Superhind class with superior avionics, sensors, night vision, Doppler radar, GPS navigational equipment, and increased agility.

Quickly ATE achievements in this regard were noticed by Algerian Air Force, the Algerians were looking for a low-cost option of upgraded Mi 24 Hind and Super Hind fitted into this category. Initially, the modifications were small only targeting systems were changed with the latest South African technology while retaining the Soviet armaments and named it Mi 24 Super Hind MkII but later under Mi-24 Super Hind MkIII configuration many key changes were made like using the latest GPS navigation system, ARINC Mil Std 1553 data bus, South African made ATGM ZT-3 Ingwe, Carl Zeiss Optronics Argos 410-Z airborne observation system turret, Vektor F2 chain turret with a 20 mm GIAT cannon.

Later on amazed by ATE’s successes, Azerbaijan also brought Mi 24 Superhinds. Encouraged by these successes ATE started wooing Russian customers and they also offered a cheap upgrade for Mi-17 and Mi-8 this angered the Russians and they started marketing against ATE’s Superhind choppers. The ATE was not able to compete against their powerful rival and went insolvent and later on was acquired by Paramount.