Helicopter-DataBase

Mi‑8 / Mi‑9 delivered to the German Democratic Republic

The Soviet foreign trade company AVIAEXPORT delivered a total of 116 Mi‑8s to the GDR. Among them were 44 Mi‑8T transport helicopters, 38 Mi‑8TVK combat helicopters, 26 Mi‑8PS passenger/salon helicopters and 8 Mi‑9 command posts. The Mi‑8 was used by all branches of the National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee), the airline INTERFLUG and the border guard troops of the GDR (Grenztruppen der DDR).

The first aircraft was delivered in August 1967. It should be emphasized that the first Mi‑8 was not put into service by the armed forces of the GDR, but by the airline INTERFLUG. This made INTERFLUG the first operator of the Mi‑8 outside of the Soviet Union. The last Mi‑8 was adopted by the air force and air defense (Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung) in March 1987.

Although deliveries were made over a 20‑year period, half of the helicopters were procured from 1974 to 1977. Notable are the delivery of 21 Mi‑8T in 1974 and 1975 and the procurement of 30 Mi‑8TVK in just six months during 1977. These extensive deliveries placed a significant burden on the GDR's government budget. Due to the importance of the "Weapon System Helicopter", other procurement programs had to be shelved in the above-mentioned period in favor of the introduction of transport and combat helicopters.

In comparison with the other member states of the Warsaw Pact, it is striking that the GDR had the second largest Mi‑8 fleet after the USSR. The GDR also only bought helicopters with the TV‑2‑117 engines. Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Hungary also used Mi‑17s with the TV‑3‑117 engines. And another difference is striking: the GDR was the only member of the Warsaw Pact to import Mi‑8TVK combat helicopters. The number of Mi‑8PS passenger/salon helicopters and Mi‑9 command posts was also comparatively high. On the other hand, the National People's Army did not operate radio-electronic warfare helicopters, such as those used by the armed forces of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

During service from 1967 to 1990, three Mi‑8s were lost in air disasters: 28Apr1975 ‑ crash of 972 after engine failure (three crew members were killed), 10Jan1980 ‑ collision 824 with 820 (6 crew members were killed).