Mil Mi-35

The Mil Mi-35 is the export version of the Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter, the Soviet and Russian gunship that crews called a flying infantry fighting vehicle. It is built by the Rostvertol company at Rostov on Don, and NATO gives the export version the reporting name Hind-E. Like the Mi-24 it has a tandem two-seat cockpit in the nose with a separate station for the operator and shooter, armour for the crew, a five-blade main rotor and a three-blade tail rotor, and many components shared with the Mi-8 and Mi-14 helicopters. A forward-swept wing of minus 12 degrees keeps it stable above 200 km/h, and GlobalSecurity gives its speed as 300 km/h. Its nose turret holds a YakB-12.7 machine gun, and the Falanga-P missile system is carried on the stub wings. Aviastar lists the Mi-35 as the export Mi-24V, with an unarmed dual-control trainer also built for India. In May 2010 a United States Air Force major advising the Afghan National Army Air Corps became the first American pilot to fly the Mi-35 in combat.