Helicopter-DataBase

Mi-14 delivered to the German Democratic Republic

The People's Navy (Volksmarine) of the National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee) received a total of 15 Mi‑14 helicopters, 9 anti-submarine warfare helicopters (ASW helicopters) Mi‑14PL and 6 mine countermeasures helicopters (MCM helicopters) Mi‑14BT.

The introduction of the Mi‑14PL anti-submarine warfare helicopters closed a gap in the People's Navy anti-submarine system that had existed since the Mi‑4ME was withdrawn from service in February 1977. Moreover, the Mi‑4ME no longer met the requirements of modern anti-submarine warfare, both in terms of helicopter platform and armament. Also the number of Mi‑4ME was insufficient, as only four helicopters had been aquired.
From April to October 1979, the flying and engineering personnel of the Helicopter Regiment 18 (Hubschraubergeschwader 18) were re-trained at the Baltic Fleet base in Donskoye in Kaliningrad Oblast. The first three Mi‑14PLs were ferried by Soviet crews to Parow on October 31, 1979. The next delivery took place on August 19, 1980 when all remaining six Mi‑14PLs arrived at Parow.
The Mi‑14PL (PL = противо лодочный - anti-submarine) was equipped with the 7071 KALMAR search and targeting suite which included the retractable OKA‑2 dipping sonar and the APM‑60 magnetic anomaly detector. The Mi‑14PL was able to carry up to 2.000 kg of depth charge bombs. Mi‑14PL of the People's Navy were operated in the following variants: Variant 1 - 8 x PLAB 250‑120 anti-submarine depth charge bombs. Variant 2 - 12 x PLAB 50‑65 anti-submarine depth charge bombs. In both variants it was possible to carry also 4 OMAB‑25‑12D daylight-visible water surface marker bombs or 4 OMAB‑25‑8N nightlight-visible water surface marker bombs or the radio measurement marker buoy POPLAWOK‑B. Variant 3 - 36 x hydroacoustic radio buoys RGBN/M. The armament with a single AT‑1 or APR‑2 torpedo and the SK‑1 "Skat" nuclear depth bomb were not implemented in the People's Navy.
In October 1980, Mi‑14PLs took part in tactical training of the anti-submarine forces for the first time.

A radome located in the forward part of the boat hull housed the INITSIATIVA‑2M search radar. With this radar, the Mi‑14PL was also used for target designation for missile boats and mobile coastal missile positions of the People's Navy. As a result, the missile launch bases remained passive in terms of radio measurement technology and could therefore not be located before the missile was launched. Another advantage was that the Mi‑14PL, as a "flying radio measuring station", had a much greater range than the missile launch bases. In June 1987, the operation of missile boats together with Mi‑14PL helicopters was trained for the first time.

Mi‑14BT mine countermeasures helicopters were procured to expand the People's Navy mine countermeasures capabilities. From September 1985, the flying and engineering personnel of the Navy Helicopter Regiment 18 (Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18) were re-trained at the Baltic Fleet base in Donskoye. In December 1985, the first three Mi‑14BTs were ferried by Soviet crews to Parow. Three more helicopters followed in February 1986.
The Mi‑14BT (BT = буксировщик минных тралов - towing mine countermeasures sleds) was specially designed as a towing device for mine countermeasures sleds. The towing device was designed for a maximum load of 3.200 kg. With a traction load of 3.500 kg, the mine countermeasures sled was automatically separated from the helicopter. The towing device with the rope and the workstation of the mine sweep operator were located in the rear part of the cargo cabin. Three windows were installed in the rear lower part of the fuselage for the operator to have visual contact with the mine countermeasures ship (MCM ship) when the mine countermeasures sled was taken over/handed over. The mine countermeasures sled was taken over directly from the MCM ship at sea and returned to the MCM ship after operation. Flag signals were specified for communication between the ship and the helicopter during the takeover/handover procedure of the mine countermeasures sled. During the mine sweeping operation, an flight controller of the Navy Helicopter Regiment 18 was on board the ship to coordinate the operation with the commander of the MCM ship.
All MCM ships of project 89.2 (Kondor II class) that had been modernized to the UR2 standard could be used to interact with Mi‑14BTs. Modernization began in 1985 and was not completed on all ships by 1990. People's Navy Mi‑14BTs were deployed to tow the GKT‑3W deep water contact mine countermeasures sled and the AT‑2M long-distance acoustic mine countermeasures sled. Two sets each of the GKT‑3W were present in the 1st and 4th Flotilla. The AT‑2M was available on all UR2 ships. From August 11 to August 14, 1987, the operation of MCM ships together with MCM helicopters was trained for the first time. The deep water contact mine countermeasures sled GTK‑3W was used in this training.

In 1990 the Mi‑14BTs were converted for SAR missions. From April 1, 1990, the SAR service was ensured at the bases Warnemünde (SAR‑80), Parow (SAR‑81) and Peenemünde (SAR‑82).

During service from 1979 to 1990, one Mi‑14PL was lost in air disaster: 30Jul1984 ‑ 638 crashed in the Strelasund, capsized and sank to a depth of 6 meters (one pilot was killed).