mI-8 / mI-24 in German Service

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

By way of an update...
As the DDR/German MiGs were the MiG-29A it's becoming clear that they were purely used as interceptors as designed. The MiG-29S had some very limited Air Ground capabilities, but it was the MiG-29SM which was designed to fulfill this role. It was this version that is the only one that could be called an F/B though again it's primary role still was to be an interceptor. Also before the MiG-29S all previous versions had very limited range, think earlier Bf-109s, you didn't want to get in a dogfight with it but it wasn't going to hang around long either.

So here's where I'm at for my list...
1. Germany OOB delete both the MiG-29 and Mil-8T. It is now clear the Luftwaffe MiG-29A/G was only used as an interceptor. Also it was the ONLY aircraft from the DDR to fly in the Luftwaffe beyond the evaluation phase.

3. East Germany OOB the same issue as above with the following possible exception of the SEAD version for which I'm awaiting conformation. This one in my mind is possible though not likely. This is why after all the Russians gave the DDR the very good MiG-23ground attack aircraft, also the DDR flew the most advanced versions of it as well which might be an issue of it's own in the OOB.

I of course have other data but the site given in the previous post is confirming all of it thus far and they've been very helpful to my requests.

To the Mil-24 HIND question no response, but my feeling is that since the Russians (Soviets) supplied everything that it is likely the DDR HIND D/P helos carried any of the following rockets, either the 54mm, 80mm, 130mm, 240mm rockets and or AGS-17 30mm GL. The Soviet/Russians did and do.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I think we're going to have issues with the Mil-24 HIND helos. I don't know where the info came from saying that these helos carried the 122mm rockets but as I've posted previously, these helos didn't have them at least from the Soviet/Russian end. The following is typical of what I found doing a search under "Mil-24 HIND armament" online...
"One remotely controlled YakB-12.7 four-barrel Gatling type 12.7 mm machine gun, with 1,470 rounds, in VSPU-24 undernose turret with field of fire 60° to each side, 20° up, 60° down; gun slaved to KPS-53AV undernose sighting system with reflector sight in front cockpit; four 9M17P Skorpion (AT-2 `Swatter') anti-tank missiles on 2P32M twin rails under end plate pylons at wingtips; four underwing pylons for UB-32 rocket pods (each 32 S-5 type 57 mm rockets), B-8V-20 pods each containing twenty 80 mm S-8 rockets, B-13L pods each containing five 130 mm S-13 rockets, 240 mm S-24B rockets, UPK-23-250 pods each containing a GSh-23L twin-barrel 23 mm gun, GUV pods each containing either one four-barrel 12.7 mm YakB-12.7 machine gun with 750 rounds and two four-barrel 7.62 mm 9-A-622 machine guns with total 1,100 rds or an AGS-17 Plamia 30 mm grenade launcher with 300 grenades, up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) of conventional bombs, mine dispensers, night flares or other stores. R-60 (AA-8 `Aphid'), R-73 (AA-11 `Archer') and Igla air-to-air missiles fitted experimentally. Helicopter can be landed to install reload weapons carried in cabin. PKV reflector gunsight for pilot. Provisions for firing AKMS guns from cabin windows."
East Germany is showing 122mm rockets (Units 922 & 923.) and I don't know what other countries also are so equipped...yet.
Also several East German units will need to be deleted to include all MiG-29A and MiG-29M (Which as now known they never had.) which like the MiG-29M includes the Mil-24W HIND. Below is the response I recieved concerning the East German use of the MiG-29A as a possible SEAD unit as posted in the previous post as well.
Note: A little tone change which is my fault as I should've indicated "configurations offered" or some such as my wording caused the response.

"Pat,

What you say here about four East German MiG 29s being used for SEAD doesn't sound reasonable. As an air superiority aircraft designed for air defence why would the East Germans use four for SEAD purposes? That role would be better suited to a unit armed with the SU 25 and probably assigned to a Soviet unit rather than divert four MiG 29s from their basic role. Just my thoughts.

Regards,

Gordon"

And another response I just got from "RAMJET"/Steve LSK/LV(DDR)/LUFTWAFFE MiG-29A pilot...

"The LSK/LV as well as the Luftwaffe used the MiG-29 only as a fighter aircraft. There were some trials in the air-to-ground role with unguided rockets in the DDR times if I remember right, but these were just trials."

If you again wish to follow along...
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=354756&page=7

Bottom-line...
GERMANY OOB... DELETE UNITS 307 MiG-29 & 327 Mi-8T
East Germany OOB... DELETE UNITS 580, 910 & 911 MiG-29M & 125/927 Mi-24W HIND (Never had either in service.) MODIFY 922/923 HINDs with either the 57mm, 80mm, 130mm or 240mm rockets vice the
122mm rockets.

Now to fix the confusion "next door" I caused. One OOB at a time next the MiG-23, if they feel like it.

Regards,
Pat

Forgot to add the only modifiers to Soviet/Russian HIND weapons I'm aware of are from the Israeli version (Name escapes me now.) and the SAF SUPER HIND MKs of which their were two to three of.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

I think we're going to have issues with the Mil-24 HIND helos. I don't know where the info came from saying that these helos carried the 122mm rockets but as I've posted previously, these helos didn't have them



B-13L pods each containing five 130 mm S-13 rockets

Pat..........I'll just start this off with JANES

...and forget the other 300,000 sites that back Janes up

Description

The S-13 is a conventional 122 mm calibre unguided rocket

So..... S-13 rocket *IS* a 122mm rocket and the B-13L pod is the aircraft pod and the B-13L-1 is the one used on helicopters, INCLUDING Mi-24/35 'Hind'


Therefore....

B-13 pods carry S-13 rockets and S-13 rockets are 122mm, NOT 130mm and having Hinds carry 122mm rocket pods is quite correct and I have no idea where you got this s-13=130mm rocket info.

Don

[Pibwl]

I've also written, that MiG-29s delivered in 80s/90s can carry only 80mm rockets or 500 kg bombs.

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

"Mil-24 HIND armament" ...
four underwing pylons for UB-32 rocket pods (each 32 S-5 type 57 mm rockets), B-8V-20 pods each containing twenty 80 mm S-8 rockets, B-13L pods each containing five 130 mm S-13 rockets, 240 mm S-24B rockets...

In fact, standard armament for non-Russian helicopters are 57 mm rockets. 80 mm rockets could have been delivered to peculiar countries or could be not. Bigger rockets were untypical in non-Russian service.
As for 240 mm rockets, the book "Soviet/Russian aircraft armament since WW2" by Yefim Gordon doesn't even list helicopters as standard carriers, but only mentions, that part of Soviet Mi-24V were modified to use this weapon.

130mm rockets S-13 are in fact 122mm caliber (according to the quoted book), hence confusion. However, I would be very surprised to see it under non-Russian helicopter. Poland for instance got literally several launchers for Su-22M4 (not helicopters), reportedly with some dozen rockets only, and they are not normally used.

BTW, Czechoslovakia developed its own 122mm aircraft rockets, simply adapting M-21OF Grad, but they don't seem to find wide use.

Michal

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Thank you both, concur on 122mm rockets for Mi-24. Agree Russia will fly with the heavier rockets and have reportedly used them in Chechnya. Russia also ordered 40 Mi-24M in May as part of their 2020 modernization plan. This is to include the ones already on hand that have been ordered and are flying within the last 2-3 years.
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20110811/165710365.html
The Mi-24V/Mi-35M are interchangeable.

The MiG-29 issue is dead to me at this point as far as the Germanys are concerned. The only useful variant in the F/B version again was the MiG-29SM that for now it seems, only Russia flew. Interceptors are not good fighter bombers normally, as is already posted in this thread by the guys that flew them. The MiG-23 and it's dedicated full time mostly F/B offshoot the MiG-27 filled that role and were contemporaries to the MiG-29. In the first ref you'll notice the MiG-29A in Luftwaffe colors.
http://www.military-today.com/aircra...29_fulcrum.htm
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/mig27/

I never argue with JANES, and of course I would find the refs that say 130mm rockets. Bottomline saved me a lot of wasted time over 8mm. So far the MiG-23 issue for East Germany looks good and they've already responed "next door" though I've seen some German info to suggust only the MiG-23BN might have been used as F/B and M versions as dediciated interceptors. Will get clarification. Seems the Soviets didn't trust them much for some roles as already pointed out concerning the SEAD issue. Kind of makes me wonder how many MiG-29 slots could be cut out of the Russian OOB.

Regards,
Pat