Russia's Air Force received first batch of new Mi-8MPTR-1 electronic warfare helicopters

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World Defense & Security News - Russia
 
 
Russia's Air Force received first batch of new Mi-8MPTR-1 electronic warfare helicopters
 
The Russian Air Force (VVS) received three new Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare (EW) helicopters on 4 March. The Mi-8MTPR-1 is a standard Mi-8MTV-5-1 with a ‘Rychag-AV’ active jamming station installed onboard. The helicopters are designed to be able to detect and suppress electronic command-and-control systems as well as the radars of surface-to air and air-to-air missiles.
     
The Russian Air Force (VVS) received three new Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare (EW) helicopters on 4 March. The Mi-8MTPR-1 is a standard Mi-8MTV-5-1 with a ‘Rychag-AV’ active jamming station installed onboard. The helicopters are designed to be able to detect and suppress electronic command-and-control systems as well as the radars of surface-to air and air-to-air missiles.
New Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare (EW) helicopter equipped with Rychag-AV active jamming station
     
The EW helicopters will be deployed at a Russia's Western Military District air base. Additional Mi-8MTPR-1s are currently under construction, with the Russian Ministry of Defence is set to eventually receive 18 of the EW helicopters.

Igor Nasenkov first deputy director general of the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern (KRET) stated that the Rychag-AV active jamming station mounted onboard provides collective protection for fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, land vehicles and surface ships within an area of several hundred kilometres. This station can suppress various targets simultaneously and can be installed both on helicopters and on ships, fixed-wing aircraft, and land vehicles.

The system's predecessor, the 'Smalta' jamming system, was developed back in the 1970s, and featured a 100 km radius; in its own time the system was considered among the most effective in the world. Alongside the Richag-AV, the Russian military is presently being equipped with other electronic warfare systems, including the L-175B Hibini air and 1L269 Krasuha-2 and 1L267 Moskva-1 ground-based electronic warfare systems.