The Iraqi Air Force will receive Russia's Mil Mi-28NE "Night Hunter" military helicopters before the end of this year, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Konstantin Biryulin told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.



"Russia is successfully fulfilling the contract for supply of Mi-35 and Mi-28NE helicopters to Iraq. The Mi-35 batch has already been delivered and the Iraqis are happy with them. As for Mi-28NE helicopters, the first batch of these will be delivered to Iraq before the end of this year," said Biryulin, who leads the Russian delegation at the Sofex 2014 arms show in Jordan.

Iraq is the first foreign buyer of the new Russian Mi-28NE helicopters, he said. "So far we have no problem fulfilling the contract to supply the helicopters to Iraq. Rostov-on-Don (where the Rosvertol plant, part of Russian Helicopters, is based) is doing everything as planned, as scheduled," Biryulin said.

Unofficial data suggests that Iraq is to receive a total of over 40 helicopters, including over 30 Mi-28NEs. The first four Mi-35 helicopters were delivered to Iraq last October.

Mi-28N is designed to detect and destroy tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as low-speed aerial targets and an enemy's personnel at any time of day and night, in favorable and difficult weather conditions.

The helicopter is fitted with a built-in NPPU-28N unified mobile gun mount with a 30-millimeter 2A42 gun; a 9-A-2313 "Ataka-V" missile system with a radio command guidance system and up to 16 supersonic guided missiles; up to four supersonic Igla air-to-air missiles with infrared homing; 80-millimeter S-8-class unguided rockets in two to four 20-barrel B8V20-A gun pods; 122-millimeter S-13-class unguided aircraft rockets in two to four 5-barrel B-13L1 gun pods.

Source: voiceofrussia.com