Polish Defence and Industry

[danrh]

Super Hind

from JDW 20 April 2005

Mil Mi-24D attack helicopter upgrade package undergoes trials
GRZEGORZ HOLDANOWICZ JDW Correspondent
Warsaw
A new Mil Mi-24D attack helicopter upgrade package has entered advanced
field tests in an undisclosed location outside Bulgaria. Presentations to
potential clients will also be conducted at that location.
The package, known as Sova, has been developed by the trinational ATL
consortium, which was established in September 2003 and consists of South
Africa's the ATE Group and Liconex in partnership with Thales of France and
the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD)-owned TEREM Letec aviation depot of
Vrazhdebna Airfield near Sofia.
ATL officials said on 16 March 2005 that the Sova package is "complete,
airworthy and available for operational firing trials".
Potential customers may be offered different financial schemes and lease
options, "real and direct offset packages", the officials said. ATE "has
current contractual agreements with the Russian authorities on the Sova and
other modifications, which are being planned", they added.
ATL officials said Sova had to be created since the package, once engineered
for the Mi-24V version, is almost totally unsuitable for the Mi-24D version
mainly because of significant differences in airframe, electrical,
mechanical and weapon systems.
Potential customers are being offered fully upgraded Mi-24D helicopters with
NATO-compatible radio and datalinks, 'identification friend-or-foe' and
moving map as well as advanced modular mission computer and hybrid
Doppler/GPS navigation system. In comparison with the non-NATO compliant ATE
Superhind Mk III package, developed for the Algerian Air Force, the Sova is
equipped with an advanced man-machine interface with large colour
multifunction displays (MFDs) from Thales, which has also provided a head-up
display, colour moving map and control display unit.
JDW was informed that the ATE group is at an advanced stage in the
development of an Agile Superhind that would encompass a fully glass
cockpit. ATE, together with its partner Thales, has carried out the design
and production of the avionics and weapon system for South Africa's Rooivalk
attack helicopter and recently completed the glass cockpit for the Hawk
advanced jet trainer. This technology is based on the Thales MFDs being used
on the Agile aircraft.
A significant portion of the avionics and weapon systems integrated on the
Sova demonstrator are South African. As in the case of the Algerian package,
the Sova has the IST Dynamics high-rate-of-slew undernose gun turret with a
Giat Industries dual-feed 20 x 139 mm F2 or Vector GI-2 20 x 139 mm
rapid-fire dual-feed automatic cannon, holding 840 rounds. The cannon can be
aimed using the forward-looking infra-red/TV sight, the helmet-mounted sight
or the pilot's head-up display (HUD).
The Sova has provision for a new range of free-fall bombs as well as
retaining the use of the aircraft's original 57 mm unguided S-5 rockets. A
Cumulus electro-optical targeting and surveillance system had also been
installed to provide, along with night-vision goggles (NVGs), a fully
compatible NVG cockpit along with NVG-compatible formation lights for
night-formation flying.
Like the Algerian Superhind Mk III, the Sova is armed with Denel Kentron
Ingwe laser-beam riding, tandem warhead anti-armour missiles with a range of
more than 5 km. The helicopter also has a programmable chaff and flare
dispenser system, a variant of the Thales system also adopted for the
Algerian helicopters.
Until now approximately 50 upgraded Mi-24Vs have flown some 15,000 flight
hours, mainly during counter-insurgency operations in southern Algeria.
During 2001-02 this package was also offered to the Polish Ministry of
National Defence at an early stage of the currently scrapped Mi-24PL
'Pluszcz' programme.
The Sova helicopter was shown for the first time in September 2004, even
before ATL's engineers had completed the conversion. New systems were
installed on an Mi-24D bought from the Bulgarian Air Force in December 2003.
The TEREM Letec capabilities, together with new methodology brought in by
ATE/Thales, allowed the overhaul of the airframe and engines as well as the
extension of the aircraft's service life and preparation of the production
data-pack, maintenance and operating documentation.
According to ATL one of the project milestones was the determination of the
effects of environment, age and usage levels in the basic build of the
aircraft as well as the effect of various levels and types of corrosion,
wear and fatigue on airframes with a similar build history and use as the
aircraft found in Bulgaria. This could be extrapolated to estimate probable
effects on all aircraft in the region. This data is paramount if an
effective life-extension programme is to be implemented and managed to
extend the life of these aircraft for a further 20 years.
In December 2004 the helicopter was ready for flight tests and it received
the South African civil registration ZU-SOV along with Bulgarian civil
aviation authority flight permission. The first round of flight
demonstrations took place on 19 and 20 January 2005. By March all necessary
basic tests had been concluded and the helicopter was declared ready for
customer evaluation, which could begin as early as July 2005. The Sova
demonstrator was ready for firing trials in March and the package was
"temporarily relocated to demonstrate this capability for additional
clients", ATL told JDW.
Sources within the Bulgarian MoD confirmed that due to customs regulations
all equipment temporarily imported and used in the Sova upgrade had to be
removed from the helicopter and relocated outside Bulgaria where it will be
installed on another Mi-24D. The aircraft used during initial tests will
probably form part of a future production process or used as a marketing
demonstrator. The Bulgarian airframes are in excellent condition and are
prime candidates for life extension and upgraded service, according to ATE
sources.
The ATL proposal was not taken into consideration by the Buglarian MoD
during the tender for modernisation of 12 Bulgarian Air Force Mi-24s.
However, following the termination of negotiations with Elbit Systems (in
conjunction with Lockheed Martin Systems Integration), ATL has launched a
limited campaign in Bulgaria to market the Sova upgrade there. ATL officials
said it "regrettably was not invited to participate [in the tender] and
provide a response in the process for the upgrade of Mi-24 helicopters for
the Bulgarian Air Force. Nevertheless the consortium members have decided to
continue with the demonstration of the aircraft, as there is sufficient
export potential to justify demonstrations of this operational alternative".


The Sova package will also be offered for export, with Iraq considered one
of the key potential customers for the new model. It is likely that Poland
will pass six Mi-24Ds, currently used in Iraq to support Polish forces, to
the Iraqi Air Force. These helicopters are reaching the end of their
operational life, although with the support of a certified partner and
sufficient funds it would be possible to extend their serviceability for
another six to eight years.

Welcome to the WinSPMBT
I believe that this post is more suitable to be under the equipment subforum, don't you?

cheers!

[Mobhack]

Interesting stuff, but in future, it probably would be better to post the URL to the information (company press release?), and perhaps a quick summary?

Cheers
Andy

BTW - Pyros, agree it is better placed here in the OOB Section.

[danrh]

I did think it would be more appropriate here myself but thought the sub-forum title was more along the lines actual OOB corrections etc. rather than just general FYI. Re the article itslef this is all I have, the Janes report. I was planning to post more but if you think its not appropriate?

Daniel

[Mobhack]

danrh said:
I did think it would be more appropriate here myself but thought the sub-forum title was more along the lines actual OOB corrections etc. rather than just general FYI. Re the article itslef this is all I have, the Janes report. I was planning to post more but if you think its not appropriate?

Daniel

Not inappropriate, but large posts, and probably copyright to e.g. Jane's.

So - feel free to post links to the article, and maybe a few words summarizing why one should go take a look would be the best idea.

Cheers
Andy