Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/773724
station, new communication system, replacement of GPS receiver and installation of Supraśl IFF system. At this very moment, there are twelve Mi-24 of both variants in 49th Aviation Base in Pruszcz Gdański, including famous Mi-24W with 965 tactical number which was believed to flew over Afghanistan with red star on the fuselage in the late 1980s (in fact, it was delivered as the last one and was a little different from other Mi- 24W helicopters but in Afghanistan it was there only as a Polish helicopter). Crews are fulfilling tasks for their own needs and for Land Forces. In recent years, they often take part in air policing missions while massive events held in the biggest cities in country. It cannot be hidden that time of the legendary Mi-24 is coming to an end. The KRUK (Polish Raven) program which is meant to procure new attack helicopter recently revved up after events on Eastern Ukraine but chaos made after fiasco of H225M Caracal procurement won't be a good fortune for the Mi-24 successors. In this moment it is hard to predict when official procuring procedure will be started and on what basics. Key condition is to prevent a generation gap and don't believe any information about necessity of reducing the number of the helicopters. New helicopter for both attack squadron currently flying Mi-24 is an essential minimum needed while analyzing costs of particular offers. www.fragoutmag.com