The Mi-28’s capabilities provide a revolutionary upgrade to the Iranian Navy
A photo from Iran has confirmed the delivery of the country’s first Mi-28NE Night Fighter combat helicopter, marking the first time Russia has delivered one of its most capable combat aircraft of any type to its southern neighbor. The plane was seen in the colors of Iran’s armed forces, although questions remain as to whether it was purchased for the army or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both of which operate helicopters for combat purposes. Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister, Brigadier General Mehdi Farahi, in November 2023 confirmed plans to induct the Mi-28 and Su-35 air superiority fighters, with the first Su-35s expected to arrive before the fourth quarter of the year. Three Mi-28s have reportedly arrived in Iran, although the full size of the order remains unknown, Military Watch Magazine reports.
The Mi-28’s capabilities provide a revolutionary upgrade to Iran’s navy, which, while large, is entirely dependent on outdated Vietnam War-era designs supplied by the United States in the 1970s. The aircraft is one of the newest types of combat helicopters in use around the world and was developed as a direct successor to the late Soviet Mi-24, which is considered the equivalent of the western world’s most capable combat helicopter, the AH-64 Apache. While the United States invested in modernizing the Apache rather than developing a new type of combat helicopter, Russia invested heavily in developing both the Mi-28 and Ka-52 as pure 21st-century designs, giving them clear advantages over their overseas competitors.
The latest variant of the Mi-28, the Mi-28NM, was first tested in Syria in 2016. Improvements include the integration of VK-2500P engines, a 13% increase in speed and the integration of new sensors providing all-round visibility, as well as improvements in fire control and air-to-air capabilities. The aircraft can carry up to 16 anti-tank missiles or 80 80 mm rockets and has unmatched flight performance, including the ability to fly backwards. The Mi-28’s capabilities have been extensively tested in the Ukrainian theater of operations, while Iranian forces have gained experience operating alongside them when Iranian and Russian forces have been deployed to Syria to support the Syrian government’s counter-insurgency efforts since 2015.
In addition to operations in Syria, Iranian forces operated closely with the Iraqi military in the mid-2010s, at a time when Iraq deployed its own Mi-28s. Iraq and Algeria were previously the only foreign operators of the aircraft, with the cheaper Mi-24 gaining a significantly larger share of foreign markets, with over 50 countries operating it. An Iranian fleet of Mi-28s was expected to be deployed to support allied forces on the ground in Syria, although the overthrow of the Syrian government in December 2024 by Western, Turkish and Israeli-backed Islamist paramilitary groups ended such prospects. With Iran facing a significantly less favorable security situation and a high likelihood of attacks from the United States, the Mi-28 could provide an effective means for Iranian units to counter Western-backed paramilitary groups on the ground. Anti-government paramilitaries have previously widely attacked Iran’s critical infrastructure and its air defense systems, using weapons supplied by the West and Israel, during the June hostilities.
