July 23,
2008: Ireland has leased two Mi-8
helicopters from a Ukrainian firm, for use in Chad, to aid Irish peacekeepers.
The 11 ton Mi-8 is a 1960s design. This
chopper is about twice the size and weight of the Vietnam war era American
UH-1, but only hauls about 50 percent more cargo. Thus the Mi-8 can carry 24
troops, or four tons of cargo. The UH-1 was replaced by the UH-60 in the 1980s,
while the Mi-8 just kept adding better engines and electronics to the basic
Mi-8 frame. The larger interior of the Mi-8 is popular with many users. The
Mi-8 can cruise at about 200 kilometers an hour and stay in the air for about
four hours per sortie. Over 12,000 Mi-8s have been built, and nearly 3,000 have
been exported.
Meanwhile,
the Irish military has bought six AW139s, and received five of them. Think of
this as a modern version of the Mi-8. The eight ton AW139 can carry up to 15
passengers, and get by with just one pilot. Cruise speed is 288 kilometers an
hour and endurance averages 3.2 hours. The AW139 is basically a civilian helicopter, while the Mi-17 is built
to military standards. A military version of the AW139, the AW149, is in
development, but won't be available for another 4-5 years.
