Russian Helicopters, part of Russian state defence holding Oboronprom and a leading global designer and manufacturer of helicopters, this month delivered two multirole Mi-8AMThelicopters built by Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant to the Republic of Tatarstan Interior Ministry. The contract was signed in August 2012 and Russian Helicopters delivered on the helicopters schedule.

The Mi-8AMTs will fly missions including maintaining public order, and will be deployed as part of the security arrangements for the XXVII Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia in 2013. [Editor note – the Cyrillic titles translate simply to “POLICE”]

Ministry pilots and officials highly rate the quality and technical features of the Mi-8AMT, and also noted the helicopters’ reliability. The final inspection team of the Ministry’s special purpose aviation group was satisfied with the build quality and accompanying technical documentation. The helicopters were flown to their service base under their own power by crews from the special purpose aviation group, allowing the group to make a hands-on assessment.

The multirole Mi-8AMT can fly a wide range of missions, from routine patrols and firefighting, surveillance and search, to cargo and passenger transportation in hard-to-reach places and difficult terrain.

The helicopter’s capabilities are continually being upgraded to allow them to handle an ever more complex and varied range of tasks. More than 12,000 helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family have been produced and delivered to 110 countries worldwide, with operators in the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, North Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Europe, South and Central America, and the CIS as well as major commercial aviation operators in Russia.

The Mi-8AMT is a highly modernized version of the world-renowned Mi-8. It was developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and is built by Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, both part of Russian Helicopters. The Mi-8AMT can carry up to 37 fully equipped service personnel on troop seats or up to 26 people in passenger chairs; transport cargoes of up to 4,000 kg in the cabin or on an external sling; transport up to 12 wounded people on stretchers; fight fires; and perform in-flight lifting, loading and unloading of cargoes. The Mi-8AMT has a type certificate in Russia and has also received type acceptance certificates in China, South Korea, Slovakia and Mongolia. At present more than 500 Mi-171s (export name of the Mi-8AMTs) built by Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in various modifications and configurations are being operated in countries of Central and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, South and Central America and the CIS.

HeliHub.com editor note – the two helicopters in the photos carry registrations RF-28971 (in blue/white scheme) and RF-28972 (in camouflage)