Warplanes: August 22, 2001

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Algeria has finished modernizing 28 Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships; another five are to be refitted under this program. Equipment for the upgrade was delivered by the South African company Advanced Technologies and Engineering. The upgraded Hinds can now operate at night or in bad weather. The original 23mm gun has been replaced by a 20mm dual-feed autocannon, and the helicopters will now carry South African anti-tank missiles, including the laser-guided Mokopa short-range missile and the Ingwe tandem-warhead laser-guided long-range anti-tank missile. Other equipment includes advanced avionics and electro-optical targeting and an electronic self-protection suite.--Stephen V Cole