All of the Indian air force's Mil Mi-25 and Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters are to be equipped with the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Helicopter Multi-mission Optronic Stabilised Payload (HMOSP).
Two Mi-25s were equipped a year ago with the Israeli system developed by the IAI's Tamam division. System testing began in September and series installation begins in March. The air force has decided to equip its fleet of around 60 Mi-25/Mi-35s with HMSOP.
The system improves the helicopter's day/night observation and targeting capabilities. It weighs around 30kg (66lb) and has daylight television and forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors with variable fields of view (2.4í-29.2í for the FLIR). The system has automatic target tracking using centroid or edge tracking techniques.
India's package includes a pilot night vision goggles (NVG) system displaying flight data on one eye piece, a digital moving map, the redesign of the fore (gunner's) and aft (pilot's) cockpits, an integrated self protection suite and pre-flight data and mission data handling systems. The HMOSP and 12.7mm four-barrel machine gun are slaved to the pilot's line-of-sight. Cockpit lighting has been adapted to NVG use.
During development, Tamam test fired the Mi-35's armaments, including KBM AT-6 (9M114) anti-tank missiles, to determine their impact on the new systems.
To improve the navigation system a GPS satellite navigation system has been integrated with the helicopter's doppler navigation system.
Source: Flight International