Russia’s Mi-24 attack helicopter is 45 years old. It’s high time we busted some of the more widespread myths regarding the gunship that has gone by many names. Crocodile. Drinking Glass. Devil’s Chariot. Hind.
In a celebratory press release in September, Russian Helicopters—part of the state-owned Rostec corporation, which is now responsible for production of the latest Mi-35M version of the Hind—explained that the helicopter “was conceived and built in record time, with development starting in 1968.”
That’s not quite true, as we’ll see.
Nor is altogether accurate that the Hind has always boasted “high levels of efficiency and reliability and … sound construction,” to quote Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev.
While it’s true that today the Hind is in service with a greater number of operators than ever before, the helo’s path to service was actually a pretty rocky one. The initial Hind prototype flew for the first time on Sept. 19, 1969, but it wasn’t until 1976 that the Soviet army formally adopted the helicopter.
The Mi-24 needed extensive design changes before it was ready for front-line use. The helicopter’s outward appearance changed radically along with its combat role. The menacing-looking Mi-24 was so radical that Soviet planners struggled to figure out exactly what to do with the aircraft.