Russia has exported more than 270 Mi-17V-5 military/transport helicopters to the foreign customers, officially reported the Rosoboronexport.
“Owing to its combat and operational characteristics, the Mi-17V-5 is currently the most popular among the Russian military helicopters delivered abroad over the past decade. Rosoboronexport has delivered more than 270 these flying machines to foreign customers,” said Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev on the eve of the annual HeliRussia expo which starts on 20th May in Moscow.
Totally over the last 10 years more than 850 helicopters worth about $20 billion to more than 35 countries were delivered.
The Mi-17V-5 is designed to carry personnel, cargo and equipment, drop tactical air assault forces and reconnaissance groups, destroy ground targets and carry the wounded. It carries the unguided rockets (up to 80 S-8 80 mm unguided aerial rockets), cannons (suspended pods with 23mm cannons and 250 rounds each) and small arms.
The main advantages of the Mi-17V-5 are said to be its ability to operate in any geographical and climatic conditions, day and night, in adverse weather, in high-altitude and hot conditions, the capability to land on unprepared sites, heavy armor protection, the overall versatility (capability to effectively perform assault/transport and combat tasks during one mission sortie).
The cabin size is 23m3, which puts it ahead in its class. The VK-2500 turboshaft engine developed by the UEC-Klimov has the digital automatic control system.
The Russian domestic version is the Mi-8MTV-5-1. In 2020 the Russian Helicopters holding company in its press-release on the delivery of these helicopters to the Russian military especially emphasized that the machines were fitted with the advanced on-board anti-missile defense equipment.
In 2019 the Russian Helicopters disclosed, that more than a half of helicopters in Africa made in the USSR and in Russia were machines of the Мi-8/17 family in various versions. To ease the maintenance of the fleet, the company said it was offering the container type mobile service centers.