Transport-assault helicopter Mi-8AMTSH: description, armament

Helicopters, for the first time appearing in their modern form, immediately attracted the attention of both specialists in the national economy and the military. This was due to their versatility, their suitability for use in those conditions where the aircraft were completely useless.

With their help it was possible to pick up sailors from a sunken ship, and to evacuate a landing group directly from the mountainside.

Universal recognition

Especially the legendary car was Mi-8AMTSH. This is a real "workhorse", a helicopter of peace and war. Wherever he was, he always fulfilled all the work assigned to him with honor, very rarely went out of order and could take out several times more cargo than was indicated in the passport characteristics of the car. Today there is even a version of this helicopter, specially adapted to the extremely harsh conditions of the Arctic.

The Mi-8AMTSh model flies all over the world: from Latin America to Afghanistan, from the Arctic and to regions with a terrifyingly hot and dry climate. The uniqueness of this helicopter is that even without any special adaptive measures it works quite normally in all conditions in the usual, "stock" version.

Basic information

They are intended for transportation of people, on external pylons this can be any equipment or impact weapons such as air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles, as well as various aerial bombs. The machine is ideal for both war and rescue operations in the most difficult environments.

The helicopter Mi-8AMTSH was created on the basis of a simple Mi-8AMT. This was done by specialists of the Ulan-Ude helicopter plant. For the first time, a new model was demonstrated to the general public in 1999, and at the same time received the respectful nickname "Terminator", characterizing the high combat and operational reliability and survivability of the machine. Strangely enough, but the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation so successful model was adopted only after ten years.

Operational features and benefits

Like its predecessors, Mi-8AMTSH retained excellent opportunities for landing and landing of troops. The pilots say that during all the last local conflicts the crew does not need more than a dozen seconds. This greatly increases the survivability of the machine, which does not have a serious reservation.

To achieve such impressive performance, the developers used sliding doors and an automatic ramp in the design. But the most important difference of this model from the previous ones is the possibility of full-fledged night flights. Prior to that, in the armament of our army, the systems that allowed it to do were standing, but were too complicated, or they sharply increased the pressure on the pilots. In "Terminator" all these shortcomings were completely eliminated.

New equipment

In addition, an important difference is the possibility of installing the same attack weapon, which is so famous for the Mi-24. In the role of armor is used light and strong cermets, was also completely replaced by avionics. Onboard there is a modern meteoradar, a complex that allows using infrared traps, as well as advanced satellite navigation equipment. The presence of shielded exhaust devices makes the Mi-8AMTSh VA less noticeable for the guidance equipment of anti-aircraft complexes of a potential enemy.

Armament Characteristics

Armament can be placed on four or six pylons. According to information from official representatives of the plant, several B8B20-A units with the S-8 NURS (caliber 80 mm) can act as such, and it is possible to install up to two 23-mm GSh-23L automatic guns. In the bow and stern there are machines for fastening any 7.62 mm machine guns (at the request of the customer). In the amphibious compartment there are regular holders, intended for attaching individual small arms to paratroopers.

Booking information

Although the Mi-8AMTSH in the operating manual of which the opportunity to use in combat operations, the level of booking and can not be compared with the above Mi-24, some protection for the crew, he still provides. The armor covers the bottom and cockpit of the pilots. Between the cargo compartment and the crew compartment there is also a separate armored plate, the working place of the arrow in the aft part is also provided with additional armor.

The direct crew of the car includes only three people: the commander, navigator and technician. In addition, during carrying out repair and evacuation work on board, there may also be other technical personnel needed to perform specific tasks.

What is the purpose of the helicopter?

The machine is designed to seriously increase the mobility of all types of land forces, it can provide full-fledged fire support during the battle. The helicopter can work day and night, practically in any climatic and weather conditions, excluding powerful storms and hurricanes. With its help, the following complex of tasks can be performed:

• Landing / disembarkation of the landing, including with the fire counteraction of the enemy.
• Covering troops and providing air reconnaissance.
• If NURSs and air bombs were installed on the pylons, the machine can destroy command posts, light armored vehicles and enemy manpower in the front-line zone.
• The crew can also perform tasks to destroy the enemy's sea or land assault forces at the time of the latter's landing.
• On the contrary, the Mi-8AMTSh helicopter with equal success supports the fire of its own landing, in those conditions when the members of the latter seek to destroy the enemy.
• Search and rescue crews of ships, helicopters and aircraft, wrecked.
• Evacuation of sick and wounded people from those areas where there are no roads.

Release Options

In order to best ensure the fulfillment of one of the above tasks, the command can use one of the specialized versions of this machine, now produced serially:

• Landing modification. In the standard version, up to 20 soldiers can be fully armed, and with the installation of additional seats, their number can be increased to 32-34 people.
• Transport modification. If no additional fuel tanks are installed, the truck can carry up to four tons of cargo. There are variants with one / two tanks, modifications for cargo transportation up to four tons on an external suspension, and also a model with a fully open ramp. The latest version of the Mi-8AMTSH frame, which is very strong, has repeatedly proven itself in the performance of rescue missions in different parts of the world, and exclusively on the good side.
• Shock-assault version with those weapons options, which we have already listed above.
• Sanitary variant. There are several modifications, which provide for the transportation of up to 17-20 wounded or sick people on stretchers or in a combined way (recumbent and seats).
• Distillation / reconnaissance modification. The helicopter is as light as possible, there are places to install up to two tanks with fuel.

Independence from import

The great importance of the project is that it is created without regard for foreign components. Prior to the well-known events, this transport-assault helicopter used Ukrainian components in the design, but by now they have been completely replaced by domestic counterparts. Representatives of the holding company "Russian Helicopters" say that the use of domestic developments in many cases makes it possible to achieve better characteristics, since they are adapted to more severe climatic and operational conditions.

Thus, this large helicopter can with full right to be considered a new chapter in the history of Russian helicopter industry. For the first time since Soviet times, our country can at last provide itself with "working horses" so necessary to it, without resorting to the help of foreign contractors.