The upgraded Mi-28NM attack helicopter made its first flight on October 12, 2016
MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. A batch of the latest Mi-28NM "Night Hunter" attack helicopters has been delivered to the troops as part of the state defense order. This is stated in an infographic published on Friday in the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
"State defense order: Mi-28NM helicopters and 152-mm MSTA-SM self-propelled howitzers have been delivered to the troops," the material notes.
The upgraded Mi-28NM attack helicopter made its first flight on October 12, 2016. The appearance of the upgraded "Night Hunters" is significantly different from the basic version of the machine. The helicopter received an overhead radar station, a new sighting and flight navigation system, an improved radar station and promising types of weapons. On June 27, 2019, Russian Helicopters Holding announced the signing of a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the supply of 98 Mi-28NM attack helicopters in 2020-2027.
The MSTA-SM howitzer is designed to destroy tactical nuclear weapons, artillery and mortar batteries, armored vehicles, including tanks, anti-tank weapons, air defense and missile defense systems, as well as the manpower of a simulated enemy. The basis of the firepower of the ACS 2S33 "MSTA-SM", which is the predecessor of the newest 2S35 "Coalition-SV", is the gun 2A65 caliber 152 mm with a firing rate of more than 10 rounds per minute.