Russian Avionics Design Bureau jointly with Moscow Helicopter Manufacturing Plant and Rostvertol JSC performs modernization of Mi-8/17, Mi-24/35 helicopters.

Additionally to the organic tasks, the upgraded helicopters will be able to accomplish:

• round-the-clock employment of the on-board weapons suite (Shturm-V and Ataka guided missiles, S-8 unguided rockets, UPK-23 Gun pods, and aviation bombs), with the use of gyro-stabilised optronic aiming system;
  
• highly accurate blind employment of unguided bombs (i.e. navigational bombing);
• employment of unguided weapons with enhanced accuracy;
  
• round-the-clock reconnaissance and S&R missions with accurate determination of targets' coordinates and automatic data downloading to the ground command posts;
  
• high-precision navigation due to a new display system for flight-and-navigation data;
  
• round-the-clock target designation for the ground artillery assets and adjustment of artillery fire;
  
• night flying at down to a 50-m altitude;
  
• autonomous search for and landing on unlit/unmarked sites by night, without use of landing lights;
  
• semi-automatic (directed) and automatic flight along the pre-programmed routes.
  

A new inform-and-control «field» has been developed on the base of multifunctional colour LCDs (PDF, 211 KB) with horizontal arrangement, and push-buttons installed in bezels. Two IV-86-1 multifunctional colour LCDs used in Mi-8, and three IV-86-2 multifunctional colour LCDs used in Mi-24.

An advanced ergonomic arrangement of the cockpit's instruments and lighting equipment is implemented in helicopters. Cockpit's lights and displays are adapted to the Gen-3 NVG, hereby a new concept of cockpit illumination ensures favourable lighting conditions for the crew with/without NVG, both by day and night.

Gyro-Stabilised Optronic System

The system ensures:

• round-the-clock observation and targeting with simultaneous thermal and LLTV imaging on the cockpit displays;
  
• line-of-sight control within ±230 deg in azimuth and -60 … +150 deg in elevation;
  
• gyro stabilisation of the line-of-sight with the accuracy of ±20 angular minutes;
  
• lock-on and automatic tracking of the target by the automatic tracking system;
  
• thermal imaging in wide (9 x 6.75 deg) and narrow (3 x 2.25 deg) field of view with electronic zoom capability;
  
• target ranging by the laser range finder with the accuracy of ±5 m at a distance of up to 10 km;
  
• day/night aiming of Shturm-V and Ataka guided missiles;
  
• TV channel operation in wide (6 x 4.5 deg) and narrow (1.1 x 1.4 deg) field of view.
  

Flight-and-Navigation Display Suite

The suite features computers, GPS system, multifunctional LCDs, and other up-to-date information devices to ensure:

• readout of data obtained from the gyro-stabilised optronic system;
  
• computation, readout, and registration (in the nonvolatile memory) of coordinates of the detected target, and automatic data downloading to the ground command post;
  
• automatic computation and readout of firing adjustments (by a moving marker) for all on-board weapons;
  
• computation of parameters required for navigational bombing;
• computation and readout of allowed firing ranges;
  
• directing helicopter to the target with designated coordinates and automatic alignment of the optronic system's line-of-sight to the target;
  
• reckoning of helicopter's current coordinates;
  
• adjustment of reckoned coordinates to those obtained from GPS GLONASS/NAVSTAR;
  
• computation and readout of parameters required for approach to the designated point in specified time;
  
• computation and readout of parameters required for en-route flying;
  
• computation of and autopilot downloading with the control signals required for automatic en-route flying;
  
• storage of the navigation data base in the non-volatile memory;
  
• operative updating of the navigation data base on the ground and in flight;
  
• readout of flight-and-navigation data, as well as emergency, warning, and advisory messages;
  
• computation and readout of flight control and operational limits;
  
• computation of the navigation plan for flight;
  
• recording of display imagery to the VCR.

Gen-3 Night Vision Goggles

Due to Gen-3 image intensifiers and GaAs photo-cathode technology, low-light and high-quality starlight imagery capabilities of the NVG are enhanced.

Distinctive Features:

• stereo vision in broad angular field;
  
• four adjustable positions of oculars to fit pilot's eyes;
  
• comfortable operation due to large ocular lenses and safe distance from structural elements of cockpit;
  
• quick disconnection and easy adjustment to non-operating position;
  
• built-in and on-board power supply options.
  

Contact Information

Mr. Serguey Babarin, Deputy Executive Director, Russian Avionics Design Bureau JSC
phone / fax: +7 (495) 556-52-91
phone: +7 (495) 556-52-92
phone: +7 (495) 556-50-83
e-mail: avionics@ra.transts.ru
address: Gromov Flight Research Institute, Zhukovskiy, Moscow Region, 140182, Russia