Mi-17

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The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name "Hip") is a Russian helicopter in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. It is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter. There are also armed gunship versions.

Mi-17s were used during the Cambodian government's 1996 dry season offensive, five of them being converted to helicopter gunships equipped with 57mm rocket pods and providing air support for ground forces attacking the Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin.

In May 1999, during Operation Safed Sagar, the Mi-17 was used in the first air phase of the Kargil War by 129HU of the Indian Air Force against Pakistani regular and Pakistan-backed militant forces. One Mi-17 was downed by a shoulder-fired missile, and a fighter aircraft was lost in combat. This led the withdrawal of armed helicopters and attacks by fixed-wing aircraft began.he Mi-17 was used extensively by the Sri Lanka Air Force in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Seven of them were lost in combat and attacks on airports.

The Mi-17 was used by the Colombian Army in Operation Jaque.

In 2001, the Macedonian Air Force used the Mi-17 against Albanian insurgents.

The Mi-17 is also used by search and rescue teams such as the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.

Executive Outcomes used them extensively in its operations in the Angolan Civil War.^{[citation needed]}

The Mi-17 is used as a commercial passenger aircraft by Air Koryo, national airline of North Korea. Previous flights include those between Pyongyang and Kaesong and Pyongyang and Haeju.

The Mexican Navy uses its Mi-17s for anti-narcotic operations such as locating marijuana fields and dispatching marines to eradicate the plantations.

The Slovak Air Force and Croatian Air Force operate Mi-17s in Kosovo as part of KFOR.

Both the pro-Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war have operated Mi-17s.

Afghan National Army Mi-17 showing the clamshell cargo door arrangement

Mi-17s are operated by the Afghan Air Force. In July 2010 two Mi-17 were flown by a mixed crew of United States Air Force and Afghan Air Force personnel in a 13-hour mission that rescued 2,080 civilians from flood waters. This was the largest rescue by two helicopters in USAF history. USAF pilot Lt Col Gregory Roberts received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.^[6]

On 24 November 2015, a Russian Mi-8AMTsh was forced to land when it was hit by insurgent machine gun fire during the combat rescue mission of the ejected crew of the Russian Su-24 that was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 earlier in the day. A Russian marine died in the attack, while the rest of the crew was recovered by another helicopter. The downed air-frame was destroyed with a TOW missile fired by local insurgents.