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One of the Mi-28NE attack helicopters delivered by Russia to Iran last month was spotted on February 3 flying over the capital of the Islamic Republic, Tehran.
Reports of the delivery first emerged on January 28, when photos showing one of the helicopters, painted with a digital desert camouflage pattern, at a hangar of the Pars Aerospace Services Company based at Mehrabad International Airport near Tehran were leaked.
The delivery was not a complete surprise. In 2023, it was reported that Iran finalized a deal with Russia on the helicopters, in addition to Su-35 fighter jets.
The Mi-28NE spotted over Tehran was likely on a test flight after being reassembled at the Pars Aerospace Services Company.
To this day, neither the Iranian Ministry of Defense, nor the manufacturer of the Mi-28NE, Russian Helicopters, have announced the delivery.
With a maximum speed of 324 kilometers per hour, the Mi-28NE is one of the fastest attack helicopters in the world. It has a combat range of 200 kilometers.
In addition to a chin-mounted 30 mm gun, the helicopter can be armed with a highly-effective anti-tank guided missiles and other weapons.
Click to see full-size image.
What is of interest to Iran the most now — amid the escalation with the United States and Israel — is likely the Mi-28NE ability to carry Igla-V and R-73 anti-aircraft missiles. This ability makes the helicopter a serious drone-hunter.
The Igla-V is an air-launcher version of the Igla man-portable air defense system. The missiles used by the system are guided via infrared homing and have a fire-and-forget capability. The maximum range of the system is reported to be five kilometers.
The R-73 is a much more capable infrared homing air-aircraft missile, with the range of its latest version, the R-74, reported to be up to 40 kilometers.
It is unclear how many MI-28NE Iran will end up getting, but there is no doubt that the helicopter represents a major upgrade to the military aviation of the country, which until now has relied mainly on AH-1J attack helicopters delivered by the U.S. all the way back in the 1970.
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