NATO Tiger Meet 2002

Founding Members

 
79th TFS      U.S.Air Force    Shaw         U.S.A.       F-16CJ
74th SQN     RAF              Valley        U.K.          Deactivated
EC 1/12        FAF               Cambrai     France       Mirage 2000B/C
 
 
Full Right Members
 
SINCE         SQUADRON              AIRFORCE                 LOCATION                      AIRCRAFT
 
1962            31 Escadrille              BAF                            Kleine Brogel                   F-16AM/BM
1962            439 SQN                    CAF                            Bagotville                        CH-146
1977            230 SQN                    RAF                           Aldergrove                        Puma HC1
1978            Esquadra 301             PoAF                          Beja                                Alpha Jet A
1979            Flotille 11 F                F. Navy                       Landivisiau                       Super Etendard
1979            814 N.A.S                  R. Navy                       Culdrose                          Merlin MK 1
1980            192 Filo                      TAF                            Balikesir                          F-16C/D
1986            Escuadra 142             SAF                            Albacete                          Mirage F1M
1987            EC 5/330                    FAF                            Mont Marsan                   Mirage F1/2000/Alpha Jet E
1990            313 SQN                    RNAF                          Twenthe                          F-16AM/BM
1994            AKG 51                      GAF                            Schleswig-Jagel              Tornado IDS
1996            321 SQN                    GAF                            Lechfeld                          Tornado ECR
1998            494 FS                       USAF                          Lakenheath (UK)              F-15E
2001            331 SQN                    CzAF                           Prerov                             Mi-24D/DU/V
 
 
Honorary Members
 
SINCE         SQUADRON              AIRFORCE                   LOCATION                      AIRCRAFT
 
1962            391 FS                      USAF                           Mountain Home                F-15E
1978            VP-8                         US Navy                        New Brunswick                P-3C
1978            393 BS                      USAF                           Whiteman                        B-2A
1981            11 SQN                     SAF                              Dubendorf                        F-18C/D
1988            141 ARS                    US Air National Guard    McGuire                          KC-135
1991            41 SLIAC                   CzAF                            Caslav                             MiG 23/L-39
1997            37 BS                        USAF                           Ellsworth                         B-1B
 
 
Probationary Members
 
SINCE         SQUADRON              AIRFORCE                   LOCATION                      AIRCRAFT
 
1998            155 Gruppo                IAF                              Piacenza                         Tornado ECR        
    
PHOTOS

 
Mi-24V - Czech Republic
 
This is the Mi-24V of 331.LBVr of the Ceske Letectva A Protivzdusna Obrana based at 33.ZVrL Prerov.
Mi-24V - Czech Republic
 
Front view. It carries four drop tanks under the stub wings. They look like the PTB-450 500-litre drop tank type.
Mi-24V - Czech Republic
 
All Czech Hinds carry this badge on both sides of the fuselage, below the pilot's cockpit.
This is the starboard side. The lion is always facing forward.
Mi-24V - Czech Republic
 
"1470" it's the full ammo load carried by the 9-A-624 four-barreled 12.7-mm machine-gun.
 
 
Unit History
 
  The 51st Helicopter Regiment based at Prostejov operated a mixed fleet of helicopters including the Mil Mi-24D. The 1st Helicopter Squadron of the 51st Regiment adopted the Tiger insignia on its aircraft in early 1992 and formed a display team to demonstrate the formidable capabilities of the Russian attack helicopter.
  For the 20th anniversary of the 51st Regiment in 1994, one Mi-24D (4011) was painted in a very light grey colour, with a Tiger cartoon on the port side of the fuselage and a "20" in big digits on the starboard side. Following a number of successes on the airshow circuit in Europe, the team made their UK display debut at the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in 1994.
  After their success at IAT 94, the czechs were "persuaded" to stay on the UK and attend a "Mini Tiger Meet" hosted by 74 (F) Squadron at RAF Valley. The czechs enjoyed an informal exchange withe their fellow Tigers and provided a memorable display during the Station Open Day.
  Following the major reorganisation of the CzAF in 1994, all Mi-24 helicopters of both the 11st Helicopter Regiment based at Plzen-Líne and the 51st Helicopter Regiment based at Prostejov move to the newly established 33rd Helicopter Base in Prerov.
The Team now forms part of the 331st Attack Helicopter Squadron. This Squadron took over the Tiger traditions of the 1st Squadron of the 51st Helicopter Regiment.
The Team performed at air shows all over Europe for more than 10 years, where contacts with NATO Tiger Association units were deepened.
  Two Mi-24Vs helicopters from 331 Squadron took part in the Tiger Meet at Fairford in 1997 and the 331 was invited by NTA as a Probationary Member.
  In 2001, during the NATO Tiger Meet in Kleine Brogel, the 331 Squadron became a Full Member.
  The Squadron operates a fleet of Mi-24D, Mi-24V and Mi-24DU helicopters.
 
 
Mi-24D / Mi-25 "Hind D" (Izdelye 246)
The Mi-24V was the first variant with a radically redesigned forward fuselage. The crew sat in separate cockpits in a stepped-tandem arrangement, the pilot sitting above and behind the WSO.
However, the intended armament of Shturm-V ATGMs was not available yet. An hybrid was developed, combining the "new" airframe with the "old" armament, the K-4V weapons system based on the 9M17 P Falanga ATGMs. The missiles, controlled by the Raduga-F SACLOS, had a kill ratio of 80 per cent.. The targeting part of the system comprised a low-light-level television (LLLTV) and a forward-looking infra-red sensor.
This stop-gap version was called Mi-24D. Production started in 1973 and ended in 1977.
The degraded version exported outside the Warsaw Pact was called Mi-25.
 
 
Mi-24V / Mi-35 "Hind E" (Izdelye 242)
The 9K113 weapons system based on the 9M114 Shturm-V supersonic ATGM finnally became available in 1972, marking the appearance of the Mi-24V.
The new missile also employed SACLOS guidance, was faster than the "Swatter", had greater accuracy with a kill ratio of 92 percent and longer range. The missile was more compact thanks to its folding fins, coming in a neat disposable tubular launcher/container.
The command link antenna "egg" was slightly larger than the Mi-24D's and had a more rounded front end with a large dielectric dome.
The Mi-24V has the TV3-117V engines uprated to 2,225 shp (1660 KW). New communications equipment and new avionics were fitted.
Some late-production Mi-24Ds also had the new avionics.
Late Mi-24Vs received radar homing and warning system (RHAWS), infra-red countermeasures (IRCM) and an active IRCM jammer.
These equipments were also fitted to some late Mi-24Ds, which have sometimes been refered to as Hind Ds Mod.
The degraded version exported outside the Warsaw Pact was called Mi-35.
 
 
Mi-24DU / Mi-25 "Hind D" (Izdelye 249)
This is the trainer version of the Mi-24D.
The USPU-24 gun barbette was removed and the nose smothly faired.
Has dual controls with the instructor in the front seat and the trainee in the back.
Appeared in 1980.
The degraded version exported outside the Warsaw Pact was called Mi-25.
 
 
 
Letka Bitevních Vrtulník (LBVr) - Attack Heli Squadron
Ceske Letectva A Protivzdusna Obrana - Czech Air Force (CzAF)
Základna Vrtulníkového Letectva (ZVrL) - Helicopter Air Base
NTA - NATO Tiger Association
WSO - Weapons System Operator
ATGM - Anti-Tank Guided Missile
9M17 Falanga - AT-2 "Swatter"
9M17 P - Poluavtomateecheskoye / Semi-automatic guidance
SACLOS - Semi-Automatic Command Line Of Sight
9M114 Shturm-V - AT-6 "Spiral"
TV3-117V - Vysotnii / for high altitudes (hot-and-high conditions)
RHAWS - Radar Homing and Warning System
IRCM - Infra-Red CounterMeasures
Mi-24DU - Uchebnii / Training

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