TSAMTO, January 15. The Malian Air Force received a Russian-made Mi-35M multi-purpose attack helicopter as part of a four-vehicle delivery order placed in 2016.
As reported by Defenceweb.co.za, the handover ceremony took place on January 12 at the 101st Malian Air Force Base adjacent to Bamako Senu International Airport. The event was attended by the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs of Mali, Sadio Camara, Chief of the General Staff of the armed Forces, General Umar Diarra, Vice-President Assimi Goita, the Russian Defense Attache and other high-ranking officials. The published photos show the registration number TZ-12H of the delivered helicopter.
As reported by TSAMTO, for the first time the sale of Mi-35M in Mali became known after the statement made in September 2016 by the head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at the AAD (Africa Aerospace and Defense) exhibition, Yuri Demchenko, about the intention to continue in 2017 the supply of Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 helicopters "to Angola, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan". According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a total of 4 Mi-35M helicopters were ordered for the Malian Air Force.
Flight tests of the first Mi-35M helicopter designed for the Malian Air Force began in Rostov-on-Don in April 2017. The first pair of helicopters (r. n. TZ-13H and TZ-14H) was delivered to Mali on September 21, 2017. On 3 October 2017, the helicopters were demonstrated to Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita during his visit to the 101st air Base.
In June 2019, photos of tests at the Rostvertol enterprise in Rostov-on-Don of another Mi-35M intended for delivery to the Malian Air Force were published in social networks.
The Malian Air Force also operates several Mi-24D helicopters acquired from the Bulgarian Armed Forces, but the new Mi-35M has significantly greater combat capabilities.
Over the past few years, the combat potential of the Malian Air Force has grown significantly due to the acquisition of aircraft and helicopters. In October 2017, President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in addition to the Mi-35M, was shown a BTA C-295W aircraft, two Y-12E light multi-purpose aircraft, and a Super Puma transport helicopter (the first of two ordered). In July 2018, the Malian Air Force received four light attack aircraft "Super Tucano" Brazilian Embraer. In April 2019, the European Union handed over a Cessna-208 "Caravan" aircraft configured for reconnaissance to the Malian Air Force.