The Mil Mi-28 (NATO reporting name "Havoc") is a Soviet all-weather, day-night, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter.

It is an attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, and is better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 gunship for the role.

[5] The new design had a reduced transport capability (3 troops instead of 8) and omitted the cabin to provide better overall performance and higher top speed.

Initially, many different designs were considered, including an unconventional project with two main rotors, placed with engines on tips of wings (in perpendicular layout); and in one similarity with the late 1960s-era American Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne attack helicopter design, with an additional pusher propeller on the tail.

In 1984, the Mi-28 completed the first stage of state trials, but in October 1984 the Soviet Air Force chose the more advanced Kamov Ka-50 as the new anti-tank helicopter.

Later, a few Mi-24Ds were fitted up with the Mi-28's radome mount to test the sighting-flight-navigational complex's abilities, and others had redesigned fuselages that closely resembled the future Mi-28, but with rounded cockpits.

Its most significant feature is a radar in a round cover above the main rotor, similar to that of the American AH-64D Apache Longbow.

[9] In 2016, Russian media reported a new, advanced helmet system designed to display visual information for aiming at targets in any field of view was under development for the MI-28N.

It features tandem, stepped-up cockpits, a cannon mounted beneath the belly, and a non-retractable tricycle tail-wheel type landing gear.

The Mi-28 has a fully armoured cabin, including the windshield, which withstands 7.62 and 12.7mm armor piercing bullets and 20 mm shell fragments.

A new design of all-plastic rotor blades, which can sustain 30 mm shells, is installed on the Mi-28N night attack variant.

It is equipped with two heavily armored cockpits, a windshield able to withstand 12.7–14.5 mm caliber bullets, in-nose electronics, and a narrow-X tail rotor (55 deg), with reduced noise characteristics.

Other modifications include: new main gearbox for transmitting higher power to the rotor, new high-efficiency blades with swept-shaped tips, and an engine fuel injection control.

[11] Russia's military rotary-wing aircraft fleet has been fully refitted with new night vision goggles (NVG).

Currently, the Russian Aerospace Forces are upgrading their S-8 and S-13 rockets to laser guided missiles with the proposed Ugroza ("Menace") system.

[19] The first production examples of the Mi-28N completed factory flight and armament tests in late May 2006, and were received by the Russian Air Force on 5 June 2006.

[citation needed] In September 2011, six Mi-28Ns of the Russian Air Force took part in the 2011 Union Shield joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise at the Ashuluk training ground in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia.

[citation needed] An initial batch of 24 Mi-28UB training-and-combat helicopters was ordered in April 2016,[20] and the first two serial Mi-28UBs arrived at the Torzhok Air Base on 16 November 2017.

[22] During their support to SAA, Russia's Mi-28Ns targeted several Islamic State positions with S-8 unguided rockets and 9M120 Ataka anti-tank guided missiles.

[29] A month later, during the International Military-Technical Forum ARMY-2019, the Russian Defence Ministry and Rostec signed a long-term contract for the supply of 98 Mi-28NMs by 2027.

[32] The Times reported that Ukrainian forces had successfully used a UK-made Starstreak system to shoot down a Russian Mi-28N attack helicopter in early April.

[34] On 9 May, one Mi-28 was destroyed in north of Kharkiv, the attack helicopter with registration number RF-13654 was the third visually reported loss of that type.

[36] On 12 June 2022, a Mi-28N was destroyed and its wreck recorded in video by Ukrainian troops, the crew of the helicopter died at the crash site.

[37] On 18 September 2023, the Ukrainian military intelligence claimed a raid against Chkalovsky Air Base, near Moscow, occurred.

[40] In October 2012, it was reported that Russia and Iraq may sign a US$4.2–$5.0 billion weapons contract, including purchase of 30 Mi-28NE helicopters.

In 2022, Russian arms sales agency Rosoboronexport dismissed media reports that suggest Bangladesh has acquired Mil Mi-28NE attack helicopters.

[50] In October 2011, it was reported that the American AH-64D had emerged as the front-runner ahead of the Mi-28N to fill a requirement for 22 attack helicopters.

[52] In November 2023, Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi said plans have been finalized for Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters to join the combat units of the Iranian Armed Forces.

They were set to be delivered to the 50th Air Cavalry Division in Kenya on 3 January 2012, from the Russian state owned corporation Rosoboronexport, which is an intermediary for all imports and exports of military related hardware.