Mil Mi-28 Havoc is a modern combat helicopter able to destroy armoured and unarmoured combat material, low and slow flying airborne vehicles and other battlefield targets. The helicopter design is based on the conventional pod and boom configuration with a tail rotor. The design of this helicopter is similar to well-known older battle helicopter Mi-24 Hind, which is used in many countries of East Europe incl. Czech Republic. The pilot and the navigator/systems officer are accommodated in two separate cockpits in tandem configuration under individual canopies. The fuselage of the Mi-28 has a bay fitted with a hatch door. The bay can accommodate three people for the rescue of downed friendly air crew. The helicopter has non-retractable tricycle tailwheel type landing gear. The energy absorbing landing gear and energy absorbing seats protect the crew in a crash landing or in a low-altitude vertical fall. The crew are able to survive a vertical fall up to 12 metres per second. When the helicopters altitude allows parachute operation, the crew can bail out in an emergency. If the choice is made to bail out then it is possible to jettison the wings and cabin doors in order to remove any obstruction which could otherwise be caused by the protruding parts of the helicopter.

The helicopter can be operated autonomously for long periods from poorly prepared pads in the forward area of operations.The helicopter's construction makes it suitable for transportation by aircraft to the theatre of operations with minimum stripping and rapid reassembly.

The helicopter can fly at a maximum speed of 300 km/hour, can fly rearwards and sideways at speeds up to 100 km/hour and is able to hover turn at 45 degrees per second. This highly manoeuvrable helicopter is able to demonstrate aerial stunts such as loops and snap-rolls.
Mi-28N Night Havoc

In August 1996 the Moscow Helicopter Plant rolled out a first prototype of the day and night capable version of the helicopter, the Mi-28N Night Havoc. The Night Havoc helicopter first flew in November 1996 and the test procedures are scheduled for completion during 1999.

The surveillance and fire control system developed for the Mi-28N has the wide and narrow field optical channels together with an optical television and night vision infrared channel.

The Night Havoc helicopter retains most of the structural design of the Mi-28. The main difference is the installation of an integrated electronic combat system. Other modifications include the main gearbox for transmitting higher power to the rotor; new design of high efficiency blades with swept- shaped tips; an engine fuel injection control system for high power operating modes.

The main sensors of the integrated electronic combat system are the microwave radar antenna mounted above the rotor head and a FLIR (forward looking infrared) system.. The helicopter is able to hover under cover with just the radar head looking over trees, buildings or high ground. The integrated combat system uses onboard processing to display the helicopter location on a moving map indicator, and to show the flight, systems and target information on the cockpit liquid crystal displays. The crew are equipped with night vision goggles. The pilots are able to perform nap of the earth flight missions in day or night conditions and in adverse weather.

The g-loading of the Mi-28N exceeds 3g and a range of acrobatic manoeuvres including a vertical loop have been demonstrated in public.