Russian Mil Mi-24 Hind Gunship Helicopter Shot Down With A Polish Piorun Manpad 

Video footage seems to point out the second a Russian Russian Mi-24/35 gunship helicopter was shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) within the Kyiv Oblast province of Ukraine. The helicopter was shot down round 25 miles north of Kyiv, per Bellingcat. Within the video, a helicopter instantly bursts into flames and crashes to the bottom after being focused by a weapon. the clip demonstrates the lethality of light-weight, extremely moveable, shoulder-fired missile techniques used for level air protection at brief vary towards low-flying targets like helicopters.

In keeping with the navy and civil aviation web site The Aviationist that the helicopter seems to have been shot down by an FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS. A number of nations have mentioned they’re offering Stinger missiles to the Ukrainian forces amid the Russian invasion, together with Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, and the US. However the Aviationist has identified the Stinger isn’t appropriate for such a low flying goal (10m altitude/400m distance), suggesting the hit was taken with by Polish Piorun (Thunderbolt) GROM-M MANPADS man-portable air protection missile techniques.

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The Piorun system together with the launch unit and the missile has a complete weight of 16.5 kg. The design is predicated on the Soviet-made 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grail). The set is a deep modernization of the PPZR Grom set, subsequently the second designation of the missile is GROM-M. It makes use of a brand new short-range missile together with a brand new warhead that may hit a flying goal at a distance from 400 m to six km and from an altitude of 10 m minimal to 4 km most. The Piorun is designed to be operated by one soldier. It consists of a single-stage projectile, a single-use tubular launcher, a beginning mechanism, and an on-ground energy provide.

Throughout a press convention that was held on February 1, 2022, President of Poland Andrzej Sebastian mentioned, Poland will present Ukraine with “any assist” to provide the nation with humanitarian and navy wants together with Piorun GROM-M MANPADS. In February 2022, Mesko firm from Skarzysko-Kamienna efficiently negotiated a take care of the US Division of Protection. Its object is the manufacturing and provide of “PIORUN” man-portable air protection techniques (MANPAD) for the U.S. Military. The course of the latest Ukraine conflicts has proven that the US and allied troops deployed within the operational theater could face a menace posed by the enemy rotary-wing property, or unmanned platforms.