In 1969 the Mil Mi-24, nicknamed \"Hind\" by NATO, made its first flight. It was the Soviet answer to the American Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.<\/p>\n
Unlike its North American rival, the Hind is not only an attack helicopter, but also an assault helicopter<\/strong>, since it has a troop compartment with capacity for eight fully equipped soldiers. Most versions have their crew seated at the front in two cockpits:<\/strong> the front for the weapons operator and the rear, higher, for the pilot. Its maximum speed is 335 km\/h and it has a range of 450 km. Its large size is its Achilles' heel<\/strong>, making it unwieldy and exposing it to attacks by portable surface-to-air missiles. Because of this, the Soviets lost 74 Mil Mi-24s in the Afghanistan War<\/strong> between 1980 and 1989.<\/p>\n The Mi-24 has some marks to its credit. It is the most manufactured attack helicopter in the world, with more than 2,600 units built, and the best-selling, with 59 operators<\/strong> on four continents (the exception is Oceania). It is still used today by some NATO countries, such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In addition, it has fought in 34 wars<\/strong>, including the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which it is used by both the Russians and the Ukrainians.<\/p>\n
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