Armed Mi-8 transport-helicopter configurations used for escort, fire support, and battlefield attack.
Development
Mil Mi-8 armed family was developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant in Soviet Union as a gunship. The family first flew in 1961 and entered service in 1967. Its recorded airframe configuration is rotorcraft, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Mil Mi-8 armed family is represented primarily in the gunship role. The sourced variant records include service with Soviet Air Forces. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include counterinsurgency.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include Mi-8TV and Mi-8MT armed.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi-8MT armed | Conversion | Gunship | Soviet Air Forces |
| Mi-8TV | Conversion | Gunship | Soviet Air Forces |
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875-1995 — Osprey Aerospace · Tier 3