Asian attack helicopter programmes prove less than straightforward
The Bangladesh Air Force may have moved on to the Mi-28NE rather than the AH-64E. (Rosoboronexport)
There are several ongoing attack helicopter programmes in Asia, but they are not all proceeding smoothly.
Price, politics and pandemics are all having an effect on attack helicopter programmes in the Asian region, particularly acquisitions in Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines.
American AH-64E Apaches, Chinese Z-10MEs, Russian Mi-28NEs and Turkish T129Bs have all been garnering attention in relation to the above three countries.
At the end of 2021, Bangladesh media were reporting that the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) headquarters had sent a proposal to the country’s Ministry of Finance for pre-approval of a purchase of eight Mi-28NE attack helicopters from Russia.
It was claimed the government-to-government deal would be worth some BDT41
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