Russia unveils cutting-edge missile tech on Night Hunter helicopter
Russian media have showcased the Mi-28N helicopter equipped with a new long-range missile, conceptually similar to the British Brimstone and newer versions of the AGM-114 Hellfire. Here is what is known about its Russian counterpart:
9:19 AM EDT, November 1, 2024
The footage shows the Mi-28N helicopter, also known as the "Night Hunter," carrying the latest Kh-39 missile, which has a range of 9 miles, a significant improvement compared to older Russian solutions.
Kh-39 - a revolution for Russians, existing in the West for decades
The new missile, in addition to having an increased range, is reported to feature an optoelectronic sensor with a daytime and thermal camera that can target the thermal image of the target.
This makes it a "fire-and-forget" design, which is a significant advancement for the Russians. Their older solutions relied on laser beam guidance, requiring the target to be illuminated with a laser designator until impact.
Additionally, the missile is supposed to have a communication link that allows it to fly over a designated area without selecting a target, which the pilot can later designate. This model is made possible by using inertial and satellite navigation modules.
As a result, the new design is expected to weigh 231 pounds, a significant increase compared to the 9M120 Ataka missile, which weighs 108 pounds along with the launch tube. For this reason, the Mi-28N will only be able to carry a maximum of eight missiles instead of sixteen, as in older models. As for the warhead, the high-explosive version is estimated to weigh 55 pounds, but a tandem cumulative version is also possible.
This appears to be the Russian equivalent of the Brimstone or new versions of the AGM-114 Hellfire missiles on paper. However, the question remains whether the Russians have the capability for mass production of such a complex missile when they are facing issues with much simpler equipment.
Mi-28N - Russian night hunter, the equivalent of the AH-64 Apache
The Mi-28N is one of Russia's three modern combat helicopters, alongside models such as the Ka-52 Alligator and the Mi-35, an upgraded version of the Mi-24. Work on the Mi-28N began in the 1980s, but the first units did not reach the Russian air force until 2006, and they were officially introduced into service in 2009.
The Mi-28N helicopter features a classic narrow fuselage design with one large main rotor and a smaller tail rotor. Its crew consists of two pilots sitting one above the other, a configuration popularized by the American AH-1 Cobra.
According to Russian assurances, the crew cabin is armored and can withstand fire from large-caliber machine guns of 12.7 mm caliber and shrapnel. The helicopter is also equipped to fly at night, and the pilots have helmet-mounted sights to speed up target neutralization.
The Mi-28N's main armament is a 30 mm 2A42 cannon mounted at the front of the helicopter. The magazine holds 250 rounds of ammunition, and four pylons on the stub wings allow for carrying additional weaponry.
For target tracking, the Mi-28N uses an optoelectronic head with a thermal camera and laser rangefinder mounted on the helicopter's nose, as well as an N025 radar mounted above the main rotor, allowing it to monitor ten objects simultaneously and engage two of them at the same time. Additionally, onboard detectors detect laser beams and radar waves, warning the pilot of attempts to target the enemy.
