VERTICAL FOR MI-24. UKRAINE LOOKING ABOUT FOR GOOD HELICOPTER GUNSHIP FOR ITS MILITARY

Author: Volodymyr TKACH ... Ukraine has not made up its mind yet as to what type of update to choose for its armed forces' warplanes and helicopter gunships. This refers, among other things, to the MI-24 helicopter - the principal assault helicopter, which - originally designated to operate on the European theater of war - now comprises the main striking power of the army aviation. ... The MI-24 represents the most common special-purpose gun-ship helicopter which was once engaged in over three dozen military conflicts. The MI-24 remains in the inventory in the military forces of the CIS nations, as well as Algeria, Angola, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, India, Iraq, Yemen, North Korea, Cuba, Libya, Mozambique, Mongolia, Peru, Syria, Slovakia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and former Yugoslavia. That rotocraft was once manufactured by aircraft building companies in Russia's Rostov-on-Don and Arse-nyev, with a total output of 2,570 ... Pages. 48 ... copies. Currently, next to six hundred such helicopters are in operation in countries outside the CIS. That combat rotocraft was once rated the best in its class. ... Now the update of the MI-24 makes up a highly attractive piece of the arms cake. The total cost of the work to upgrade combat characteristics of the MI-24 is estimated by experts at hundreds of millions of dollars. ... Stake on Helicopters ... Rotary-wing aircraft present one of the most important factors of increasing armed forces' proficiency. Helicopters represent a powerful means of providing troop mobility, which keeps them always in demand even at times of overall stagnation on the market for military equipment. By expert estimates, whereas in the period from 1991 to 2000 the global industry manufactured 7,963 helicopters worth a total of $52.7 billion (in 2001 prices), in the next decade global helicopter output is estimated to jump to 9,503 rotocraft worth $75.9 billion. Activity on the market for helicopters is linked to an increase in output of precisely military helicopters - as is the case in the USA and Europe. ... The U.S. in the next ten years is going to implement a few programs - all backed up with adequate funding -- for the manufacture of new helicopters and update of the existing ones. Among them are programs for the manufacture of Bell/Boeing V-22 helicopter with all-moving rotors, and modernization of the helicopters Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y, Sikorski MH-60S and MH-60R, and Boeing AH-64D and CH-47F. ... European countries, too, want their armed forces equipped with powerful helicopters. New rotocraft are only developed and manufactured by group effort under Eurocopter concern's programs. The cost of the Tiger and NH90 helicopters manufacture programs alone will amount to $10 billion in the next ten years. This will help European companies secure strong positions on the global market, which, in turn, will revitalize the market for helicopters. By 2005, that market is anticipated to reach $6.4 billion, and in the next decade it will consume $63.4 billion worth of military helicopters. ... Russia - the CIS number-one developer and manufacturer of helicopters - aims to retain its positions on the international market for combat rotocraft. Nowadays, the country develops and manufactures combat, troop carrier, general-purpose and special-purpose helicopters. In the next 15 to 20 years, Russia will stake on combat helicopters, in particular such internationally-renowned models as the MI-24, Ka-50, MI-28N and Ka-52. Though, it should be pointed out that Russia lacks budget funding for procurement programs and research and development projects for comprehensive update of helicopters. ... Remarkably enough, some countries which had never been concerned with helicopters before decided to take up that business. ... For example, Romania, South Korea and Poland have managed to create helicopter building companies of their own and develop their national helicopter models. ... Ukraine does not have a national helicopter manufacturing cycle of its own. At the end of 2002, Industrial Policy Minister Anatoly Myalitsa announced that his department intends to replenish the country's helicopter fleet with new rotocraft and update the existing ones. Though, he said the decision is yet to be made as to whether the helicopters would be manufactured here in Ukraine or imported. Meanwhile, Ukraine has on its territory a number of companies engaged in helicopter repairs - in Zaporizhya, Novomoskovsk (Dnipro-petrovsk region), Sevastopol, Kono-top (Sumy region) and Vinnytsya. Also there exists a flight-test and development-test center in Feodosia. The MI-34 helicopter was once projected for manufacture in Dubove (Zakarpattya region). Also Ukraine once considered the manufacture of the Ka-128 helicopter at its own factories. The maker of aircraft engines and gas turbines, Zaporizhya's Motor Sich and Russia's Kamov design company intend to set up a partnership for shared manufacture of the Kamov 226 helicopter, which represents an upgraded version of the Kamov 128.