Helicopters, having first appeared in their modern form, immediately attracted the close attention of both specialists in the national economy and the military. This was due to their versatility, 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 group of troops directly from the side of the mountain.
Universal recognition
The Mi-8AMTSh became an especially legendary car. This is a real "workhorse", a helicopter of peacetime and war. Wherever he was, he always honorably performed all the work assigned to him, very rarely failed and could take out several times more cargo than was indicated in the passport characteristics of the machine. Today there is even a variant of this helicopter specially adapted to the extremely harsh conditions of the Arctic.
The Mi-8AMTSH model flies around the world: from Latin America to Afghanistan, from the Arctic to areas with an appallingly hot and dry climate. The uniqueness of this helicopter is that even without any special adaptation measures, it works quite normally in all conditions in the usual, "stock" version.
Basic information
Designed for transporting people, on the external pylons at the same time any equipment or strike weapons such as air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles, as well as various aircraft bombs, can be located. The machine has proven itself perfectly both for war and for rescue operations in the most difficult environmental conditions.
The Mi-8AMTSh helicopter was created on the basis of a simple Mi-8AMT. The specialists of the Ulan-Uda Helicopter Plant did this. For the first time, the new model was demonstrated to the general public in 1999, and at the same time received the respectful nickname "Terminator", which characterizes the high combat and operational reliability and survivability of the machine. Oddly enough, but such a successful model was adopted by the Russian Air Force only ten years later.
Operational Features and Benefits
Like its predecessors, the Mi-8AMTSh has retained excellent opportunities for landing and landing. Pilots say that during all recent local conflicts, the crew needs no more than a dozen seconds. This greatly increases the survivability of a machine that 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 between this model and the previous ones is the ability to make full night flights. Prior to this, the systems that allowed us to do this were in the arsenal of our army, but they were too complicated, or they sharply increased the load on the pilots. In Terminator, all these shortcomings were completely eliminated.
New equipment
In addition, an important difference is the ability to install the same strike weapons that the Mi-24 is so famous for. Light and durable cermets are used as armor; avionics has also been completely replaced. On board there is a modern weather radar, a complex that allows the use of infrared traps, as well as advanced satellite navigation equipment. The presence of shielded exhaust devices makes the Mi-8AMTSh VA less noticeable for equipment for guiding anti-aircraft systems of a potential enemy.
Weapon characteristics
Armament can be placed on four or six pylons. According to information from the factory’s official representatives, several B8V20-A units with a S-8 model NURS (caliber 80 mm) can act as such, it is possible to install up to two automatic 23-mm GSh-23L guns. In the bow and stern there are machines for attaching any machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber (on request). In the landing compartment there are full-time holders designed to mount individual small arms of paratroopers.
Booking Details
Although the Mi-8AMTSh, in the operating manual of which it is possible to use it in combat operations, can’t be compared with the Mi-24 mentioned above, it still provides some protection to the crew. Armor covers the bottom and cockpit. There is also a separate armor plate between the cargo compartment and the crew compartment, the gunner's workstation in the aft is also provided with additional armor.
The direct crew of the machine includes only three people: commander, navigator and technician. In addition, during the repair and evacuation work on board, there may also be other technical personnel necessary to perform some specific tasks.
What is the helicopter intended for?
The machine is designed to seriously increase the mobility of all types of ground forces, it can provide full fire support during the battle. The helicopter can operate in the daytime and at night, in almost any climatic and weather conditions, excluding powerful storms and hurricanes. With its help, the following set of tasks can be performed:
- Landing / landing, including during fire reaction of the enemy.
- Cover troops and air reconnaissance.
- If NURSs and aerial bombs were installed on the pylons, the machine can destroy command posts, light armored vehicles, and enemy manpower clusters in the frontline.
- The crew can also perform the tasks of destroying the enemy’s naval or land assault at the time of the last landing.
- On the contrary, the Mi-8AMTSh helicopter with equal success provides fire support for its own landing, in those conditions when the enemy seeks to destroy the members of the latter.
- Search and rescue crews of ships, helicopters and wrecked aircraft.
- Evacuation of sick and wounded people from 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 mass-produced:
- Airborne modification. In the standard version, landing can be provided for up to 20 soldiers in full armament, and when installing additional seats, their number can be increased to 32-34 people.
- Transport modification. If no additional fuel tanks are installed, the machine can carry up to four tons of cargo. There are options with one / two tanks, modifications for transporting cargo up to four tons on an external sling, as well as a model with a fully open ramp. The latest modification of the Mi-8AMTSh frame, which is very durable, has already proven itself many times during rescue missions in different parts of the world, and only on the good side.
- Assault-assault version with those weapons options that we have already listed above.
- Sanitary option. There are several modifications that provide for the transport of up to 17-20 wounded or sick people, both on a stretcher and in a combined way (lying and sitting places).
- Ferry / reconnaissance modification. The helicopter is as light as possible, there are places for installation of up to two fuel tanks.
Import independence
The huge importance of the project is that it is created without regard to foreign components. Prior to the well-known events, this transport and attack helicopter used Ukrainian components in the design, but so far they have been completely replaced with domestic counterparts. Representatives of Russian Helicopters Holding say that the use of domestic developments in many cases allows us to achieve better performance, as they are adapted to more severe climatic and operating conditions.
Thus, this large helicopter can rightfully be considered a new chapter in the history of Russian helicopter engineering. For the first time since Soviet times, our country can finally provide itself with the “workhorses” so necessary for it, without resorting to the help of foreign contractors.