Page 37 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

As part of the unit’s regular
activities at the end of last
October, Mi-8MSB-V ‘43 Yellow’
deploys marine paratroopers
in level flight at low altitude –
approximately 500ft above the
ground – using special parachutes.

Ukrainian Naval The Ukrainian Navy’s 10 mabr has received an unusual Ka-27PL ‘20 Yellow’ (c/n
Another An-2
Another An-2
for the navy

5235003517202) during
gift in the form of an An-2R transport (c/n 1G221-38,
a regular training flight
Aviation service after it undergoes overhaul and enters active at Kul’bakino in mid-
registration UR-40308) from a Ukrainian civilian. The
big biplane was handed over on October 31, 2019 and
September, 2019. It’s
currently the unit’s only
will become the second An-2 in Ukrainian military
operational Ka-27 – two
others are undergoing
service. The other example, An-2T ‘07 Yellow’, is also a
maintenance at the Konotop
naval aircraft, and is also currently undergoing overhaul
repair facility, while the
remainder are stored at the
at Vinnitsya (where the newly acquired machine will
go after funds are allocated for it later this year).
to transition to the new machines, as the unit’s home base.
Mi-14 operated by 10 mabr is essentially
an amphibious naval variant of the Mi-8.
The unit’s Mi-8 training programme is
intensive, with multiple flights being made
each day, tasks ranging from basic to
complex, including the deployment of marines
while hovering only a few feet above the
ground, deploying marine paratroopers in level
flight at extremely low-level altitudes using
special parachutes, and practising emergency
landings following simulated engine failure.
Furthermore, the unit has five additional
stored Mi-8s in its inventory, some of which
may also be returned to airworthy status
and brought up to Mi-8MSB-V standard in
the near future. The introduction of Mi-8s
would significantly reduce the workload of
the unit’s Ka-27s and Mi-14s – with Mi-8s
taking over most of 10 mabr’s shore-based
transportation assignments, their resources
may be better allocated to specific maritime
tasks such as anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) and search-and-rescue (SAR). As seen in this photo taken at the
Helix maintenance end of last October, the single Ka-
226 ‘41 Yellow’ (c/n 03-02) is now
Some of the unit’s helicopters were notably fully operational and takes active
absent during last year’s Sea Breeze exercise part in the unit’s regular activities,
conserving the precious resources of
(see Black Sea war games, December 2019, its larger Ka-27s and Mi-14s.

www.Key.Aero #383 February 2020 // 37

03/01/2020 11:50:37
36-38 UkraineNavy AFM Feb2020.indd 37 03/01/2020 11:50:37
36-38 UkraineNavy AFM Feb2020.indd 37