Russian defense industry source has revealed plans to add new missiles with a range of 100 km to the Mi-28NM attack helicopter’s arsenal.
In the interview with the RIA Novosti news agency, the source said that an upgraded Mi-28NM attack helicopter will be fitted with a new guided missile which was developed under a program known as Izdeliye 305 (meaning “product 305”).
“The ability to carry four cruise missiles at once puts the Mi-28NM on the type of targets it can hit – on a par with front-line bombers,” the source said.
The Izdeliye 305 is a new generation of guided missiles with a maximum range of 100 kilometers and designed to launch from a helicopter. It is intended to destroy armored vehicles and reinforced concrete fortifications.
The missile will be guided by the on-board inertial navigation system. Information about the target’s location will be uploaded into the system during the launch. The helicopter, in its turn, will receive the information from its own detection systems or from the integrated troop and weapon management system.
During the final stage of its flight, the new missile will activate the homing device to locate the target in the designated area and to destroy it.
The helicopter’s crew will receive a video signal from the missile via a protected communication channel.
Meanwhile, earlier in March 2020 aircraft industry source told the TASS agency that the range of the new missile will exceed 25 kilometers.
