Features of “Polish” Mi-24 helicopters transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine are revealed
Last weekend, the media reported that Poland had secretly transferred Soviet helicopters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The batch size was 10 Mi-24s. According to experts, the features of the machines directly depend on the program under which they were modernized.
According to The Military Balance, at the beginning of the year, the Polish army had 28 Mi-24 helicopters in D and B modifications. In 2016, the main disadvantages of Polish vehicles were considered to be a 30-year service life and the inability to use guided anti-tank missiles. In 2017, Poland placed an order for 96 Apache units under the Perkoz program.
In 2019, the PGZ Group presented a project to modernize Soviet helicopters as an interim solution while Western helicopters were being purchased. It provided for the installation of a launcher for launching Spike anti-tank missiles on the vehicles and an increase in flight time by 5,000 hours.
Last summer, it became clear that official Warsaw could not decide on the feasibility of modernizing helicopters. The program to extend the flight life was delayed by a year. Because of this, their modernization was allegedly postponed for three years.
Thus, in view of the above, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may receive from Poland Soviet Mi-24s that have not been modernized, helicopters with extended flight time, or vehicles with optoelectric stations that allow them to launch anti-tank missiles.
