Mi-28 Havoc

The Mi-28 Havoc was developed to give Soviet and later Russian army aviation a purpose-built attack helicopter with no troop-carrying compromise. It addressed the same broad mission space as Western anti-armor helicopters while preserving Russian emphasis on armor protection, weapons load, and rugged battlefield operation. Development stretched across the late Soviet period and the post-Soviet defense-industrial slowdown, with the Mi-28N Night Hunter and export Mi-28NE becoming the more mature operational forms.

Technically, the Mi-28 is a twin-engine attack helicopter with a tandem crew arrangement, chin-mounted cannon, stub wings for guided missiles, rockets, gun pods, bombs, or auxiliary tanks, and protective measures for low-altitude battlefield work. Later Mi-28N and Mi-28NE versions added night-attack avionics, thermal and television sighting equipment, radar and laser warning, improved navigation, and systems to support target detection and engagement from cover. The design prioritizes anti-armor strike, close air support, and survivability.

Operationally, the Mi-28 fills the dedicated attack-helicopter role in forces that also operate Ka-52 scouts or older Mi-24/Mi-35 gunships. It is intended to hunt armored vehicles, strike field fortifications, support ground forces, and engage low-speed aerial targets when equipped for the mission. Its long gestation means it entered large-scale service later than originally expected, but the Night Hunter family remains important because it gives operators a Russian attack helicopter focused on sensors, guided weapons, and armored survivability rather than assault transport.