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Kuklinovsky said:
I have found that PRP-4 arty recon vehicle introduced 1984 HAD THERMAL IMAGER in addition to GSR radar! It is proof that USSR HAD thermal sight technology in 1980s! I am sure its further implementations on Soviet helos, UAVs and tanks will be also discovered sooner or later!
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Yes that vehicle would appear to be an exception assuming the sources you quoted are correct, but do you have any valid sourses indicating that tanks or attack helicopters of the Soviet Union were equiped whit a thermal imager devices before the 1990's? It is one thing to have thermal imager on a special Recon/FO vehicle than to have it standard on all Main Battle Tanks or Attack helicopters. It might have been that due to the cost of the devices and the Soviet tactics/regulations the devices were not used. It is not only a question if USSR had thermal imaging technology in the 1980's, but were they actualy installed and used on tanks/helos in the 80's. All information available seems to point that they were not.
Quote:
Kuklinovsky said:
As for Hinds and TI: I suggest you to look closely at Mi-24K/Hind G-2 model! 
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What I found on the net points to Mi-24K (Hind-G2) being a special purpose reconisance/chemical warfare helicopter not used in large quantities, did not find any information that it had a thermal imager though. Even if it did have a thermal imager and was available in the 80's it would appear to fall into the same special purpose vehicle gategory whit the PRP-4.