Hello commanders,
It’s good to be back! We hope that the dust has settled a bit after WARNO’s official launch out of Early Access and our “lessons learned” roll-out of the deluxe Gold and Expansion variant. There are many great things to look forward to.
In today’s DevBlog, we take an initial stab at the upcoming Nemesis: Airborne Assault DLC coming in the near future.
As part of this helicopter-heavy DLC, we want to rework a rather Cold War-iconic Soviet gunship: the fearsome-looking Mil Mi-24 Hind.
The Devil’s Chariot
So, what’s the deal with improving the “Devil’s Chariot,” aka the Mi-24 Hind? We wanted to update the Hind’s in-game models, which we found to be incorrect and lacking in certain areas, especially the Mi-24D variant.
Thanks to expert research and work from WARNO’s very own Strike Team, the Soviet gunship will shine like new (or old, depending on World War III usage).
Let’s detail each of the variants currently in WARNO, including some sexy new images showing all the latest fine-tuning that has gone into the helicopter’s models.
A Little Renovation
The Mi-24 is the epitome of a “scary Red attack helicopter.” Though it might look crude, its aggressive lines are a sight to behold, putting the living fear into the hearts of combat soldiers and sandal-wearing insurgents alike.
The Soviet attack helicopter is actually a small wonder of aerodynamics, being one of the fastest helicopters in operation in 1989 with a surprising amount of agility. This was achieved with some unconventional design choices, including tilting the entire fuselage with the tail twisted in the opposite direction. Apart from featuring plentiful armament hard points, the wings provide extra lift.
Mi-24D
It might not have been the very first Hind variant, but it surely can be counted as one of its most famous. Entering into production in 1973, the Mi-24D was the first one to have the tandem arrangement of pilot and gunner. The weapons carried were a highlight, with the improved 9M17P Falanga-P being a particularly powerful weapon.
The Mi-24D made its debut in Afghanistan, with additional survivability elements added while in theater, also making its way to WARNO’s model of this gunship. The revised Mi-24D will be present in Soviet and East German armies and future Polish and Czechoslovak arsenals.
Mi-24V
Next up is the Mi-24V. This can be considered an improved Mi-24D produced from 1976 onwards. It received a much more powerful anti-tank missile, the Kokon, as part of the Shturm-V weapon system.
Another defining feature of this variant was the helicopter's speed. Soviet designers realized that an attack helicopter only had a brief window to use its armaments against an armed-and-dangerous opponent effectively. The Kokon was a great example, upping the projectile speed to supersonic flight with increased range, making it one of the fastest ATGMs in the Cold War.
Mi-24P
The Mi-24P from 1981 focused on upgrading its cannon by installing the powerful GSh-30-2 (as seen on the Su-25, but with slightly longer barrels) as its main gun. This autocannon was extremely effective against all types of targets. The example we are showing is a late production variant, which the East German Volksarmee also used.
Mi-24VP
The Mi-24VP, introduced in 1985, is the ultimate incarnation of the gunship as designed by the Soviets. Aside from all the previous improvements, this variant gains the GSh-23L autocannon in a special nose turret, which is a slight step up compared to the brutish gun example in the Mi-24P. The turret is an upgrade, as it can freely turn. An extremely rare variant, the Mi-24VP, was only fielded by the Soviets.
Mi-24K
The Mi-24Kp is a separate branch in the gunship’s lineage, better known as Korrektirovschik or “the one that corrects artillery fire”. Equipped with more advanced optical sights and cameras, it is unable to carry ATGMs in combat. This recon helicopter can still fire a respectable quantity of S-8 rockets.
Until next week
All right, commanders, that’s all for this week’s DevBlog. After last week’s developments, we understand emotions may run high in certain corners. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience - we can only learn from our mistakes and do it better next time.
Once again, thanks for the continued support, commanders. Don’t forget to keep the discourse civil and respectful.
Join the WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
As always, see you on the battlefield.
