Iraq receives Mi-28 gunships

Iraq has received a shipment of an unknown number of Mil Mi-28 gunships. The gunships will be used to fight militants after they are assembled.

The Mi-28 is a two seat armored gunship. It well be added to Mi-35 helicopters, Sukhoi Su-25 strike aircraft, and Lockheed Martin F-16s. The Iraqi government is also admitting to buy AH-64 Apache helicopters.

news.yahoo.com...

www.janes.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Good. I hope they can manage to keep them out of the hands of ISIS/IS.... Whatever they are being called at the moment.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Iraq has received a shipment of an unknown number of Mil Mi-28 gunships. The gunships will be used to fight militants after they are assembled.

The Mi-28 is a two seat armored gunship. It well be added to Mi-35 helicopters, Sukhoi Su-25 strike aircraft, and Lockheed Martin F-16s. The Iraqi government is also admitting to buy AH-64 Apache helicopters.

news.yahoo.com...

www.janes.com...

Wonder if ISIS has a helicopter training program ? Might be a good time to start one... Or use some of the 400 shoulder fired missiles that were reported all part of the Benghazi mess.. They have stolen enough money plus their newly acquired oil money they could do just about anything if they had time...

It will be interesting if Iraq's defense force can keep the SH-64s flying....; probably some real deals (big bucks) on civilian contractor work in Iraq ..

a reply to: 727Sky

Surely Russia would be supplying training in the deal?
Edit: sorry, i misread your post.
Good point about ISIS.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I ran across an article about this earlier and it confused me....really, Russian aircraft in Iraq.

Also, why are most Russian aircraft so freaking ugly?

a reply to: TerrorAlertRed

Iraq has almost always used Russian weaponry, so it makes sense to resupply them with it. The learning curve won't be as steep as it will be for the F-16s, and the M-1s if they are able to buy them.

Russian/Soviet weapons were always built for function, not form. So they not be as pretty as say a B-2, or an F-16, or an Apache, but they tend to work better in harsh environments.

a reply to: 727Sky

ISIS has had access to helicopters, and fixed wing aviation for awhile now. There is no evidence that they use any of it. In June they captured the Mosul airport, which normally housed at least 13 Blackhawk and Kiowa helicopters. It's not clear how many were there when it fell, but they have also captured Syrian equipment after overrunning bases there.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: 727Sky

Surely Russia would be supplying training in the deal?
Edit: sorry, i misread your post.
Good point about ISIS.

Ground support an maybe a team to assemble their aircraft.. Probably the same with the AH-64s ... A team goes in gets everything up and running and a few very well paid guys hang around to supervise and train the local yokels ... If it progresses the whole operation might turn into something like Iran when the Shaw was using civilian contractors to train the Iranian airforce... Some of the guys made good money until it all came crashing down ... Either way I would want a fast long range jet and several other means to get the heck out of there if things turned to caca...

ISIS has had access to helicopters, and fixed wing aviation for awhile now. There is no evidence that they use any of it. In June they captured the Mosul airport, which normally housed at least 13 Blackhawk and Kiowa helicopters. It's not clear how many were there when it fell, but they have also captured Syrian equipment after overrunning bases there.

I knew they had captured some but did not know the amount of hardware they had acquired.. Also flying a helicopter is not like flying a fixed wing aircraft.. I soloed at 3.7 hours in fixed wing aircraft... due to the rules (thank god) we could not solo before 10 hours in a rotorcraft.. Fixed wing I smoked a cig and did a wingover and thought I was home... The helicopter solo all I really remember was my first thought which was, " You are going to die: ! No Kidding! I flew close to 4000 hours in rotor craft with not one minute of sleep or a chance at the mile high club.... actually had a blast in more ways than one... Fixed wing you name it I might have done it...! hahhaha

It would take ISIS a time to train some of their guys who have just learned to drive their new Toyota's on the finer points of the OH-58 or the Blackhawks... and even at that a good crew chief or maintenance personal might be the harder part of the equation... One thing about it once the spare parts are used up they will know which supply base to hit next for the spares.. What a frigging mess !

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah, at least the Russians didn't put their wings on backwards like Germany did with the Forward Swept Wing design....

a reply to: 727Sky

All contracts come with some tech rep support. Even after they're up and running the tech reps will stay on for awhile to iron out any small problems that crop up, as well as finishing training on maintenance crews.

Right now the Iraqi Air Force has maintenance teams, and pilots in flight training in the US learning on F-16s. Their first aircraft have been assembled and signed over to the government, but are most likely still in the US training them. Delivery will start in September with the first two aircraft.

They deliberately "dumbed down" the Block 52 aircraft,adding slightly less sophisticated systems, and by avoiding weapons like JDAM and AMRAAM, to try to appease their neighbors.

F-16IQ

a reply to: TerrorAlertRed

Su-47

Forward swept wings are staggeringly efficient compared to the "standard" wing. The X-29 proved that, when it took off during a medium speed taxi test. The problem with them is that the tips twist, and standard materials can't handle that happening over a long period of time.

a reply to: TerrorAlertRed

Take a look at British aircraft over the years if you want to see ugly.....

a reply to: Zaphod58

War is big business. It's a racket. The U.S. military industrial complex has to keep rotating inventory.

Start wars, divide and conquer, supply both sides. Why can't anyone else see this?

The only thing that keeps the American economy alive... is war.

a reply to: mark1167

So the US MIC is supplying Russian built equipment now?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: mark1167

So the US MIC is supplying Russian built equipment now?

Don't you know it's all controlled by the same people. If you deny it you are a shill.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
Don't you know it's all controlled by the same people. If you deny it you are a shill.

I thought this was a Shills Anonymous meeting? I'll try the next door down.

Fun aside, it'll be interesting to see the Mi-28 flying alongside the AH-64s. I would like to see the opinions of guys who get cross-training, if any do. I also think it's very interesting that Mil has enough manufacturing headroom to supply these in addition to the ones destined for the Russian armed forces. I wonder if Kamov is in a similar situation.

a reply to: 727Sky

Even if ISIS somehow figured out how to fly the gear they took, they wouldn't last long with the US prowling the skys.

originally posted by: Darkpr0

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
Don't you know it's all controlled by the same people. If you deny it you are a shill.

I thought this was a Shills Anonymous meeting? I'll try the next door down.

Fun aside, it'll be interesting to see the Mi-28 flying alongside the AH-64s. I would like to see the opinions of guys who get cross-training, if any do. I also think it's very interesting that Mil has enough manufacturing headroom to supply these in addition to the ones destined for the Russian armed forces. I wonder if Kamov is in a similar situation.

I'm with you in my interest in the comparison between the two aircraft. I've always considered the Mi28 as a Russian version of the Apache but twenty years late. I think it probably compares better with the A model than the Ds or Es. The performance of the A model hasn't improved much but it was all about avionics suite advances in the D&Es.

The Ka 50 and 52s are an unknown to me. I have no yard stick to measure their performance compared to Cobras or Apaches. I have seen videos of the Alligators at airshows but as you know that's not a good measure. Many videos shows them in a hover and makes much to do about their ejection seats...whaaat? Sounds like a bandaide for a dangerous design.

a reply to: buddah6

Think mommy hatches on subs. It's so that you can show your mother around and say "See? If something happens I can escape, and be safe."

a reply to: RobWatcher57
British ugly aircraft like the Spitfire, Tornado and Vulcans?