To Kielce for the international defence industry show. After the opening by President Bronisław Komorowski, defence minister Bogdan Klich and Britain's international security minister Gerald Howarth, its time for the military display.On the ground, Rosomak armoured personnel carriers and infantry. In the air, a pair of Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters provide covering fire for a Mil Mi-17 Hip medical evacuation helicopter. From a distance the Hinds (left) aggressive like giant prehistoric dragonflies. When hovering overhead (below), a large and formidable beast.
Below: here it comes - the Hip flies in to evacuated wounded soldiers, without landing. The Hinds fly around, providing suppressing fire.
Front door open, the Hip's winchman lowers the cable to the troops on the ground. The 'wounded' soldier has been prepared for evacuation by his comrades.
Right: the evacuation is completed, the wounded soldiers winched off to field hospital. Still riding shotgun in the sky, a Hind prepares to fly escort.I wrote some while back about how an increasing number of aircraft in our skies are reaching middle age. We're less than a year away from the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Mil Mi-8, of which the Mi-17 is a updated design, as is indeed the Mi-24 (which itself is over 40 years old).
Military aircraft today are being designed for such lifespans. The Boeing B-52 is likely to stay on in active service to 2040, by which time it will be nearly 90!More on the MSPO defence show on Wednesday (I'm going back for the second day tomorrow).
Shit's pretty cash.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be pretty cool if they had a Mi-26.
Also, the exponential development cost for new military aircraft necessitates that militaries keep their aircraft longer. The cost to develop a new effective fighter (or any combat aircraft) is astronomical.