Buying Mi-35 in this day and age!
Mi-35 is obsolete (especially without the Israeli electronics that IAF version has) for attack helo role, it only makes for one attractive target for missiles.
There is so much miss-representations of facts here, its crazy. Just because Pakistan is buying MI's and the Indian members hate the fact. Here's a simple explanation. Long Bow's are the top end combat helis in the world. No doubt about it and good for India that she's getting some.
Hinds have their own niche and purpose. For aerial / rural / urban combat, Hinds can fly with insane amounts of firepower, in some cases, similar to or more than almost two choppers. That's a lot of firepower in ONE trip. Plus its cost effective in numbers. So for Pakistan's situation in the Northern part, this is ideal with quick availability. Also remember, the PAF or the PA can turn this into a troop carrying heli with lighter payloads after the mission ends in the North. These will get better avionics from China overtime, no doubt about it.
Next, the payload in Hinds is a lot. Frankly speaking, in anti-tank role, 16 anit-tank missiles being fired from a heli 5 or 7 miles away beats a many manpad, short distanced AAM system's ranges as well as AAA shells and still delivers a LOT of payload from distance. Can it lose to the Apache in a dog fight? Absolutely. Can both Apache and the Hind fire AAM's towards each other and get hit....Absolutely (as long as the AAM's being fired are good ones). Heli's, even with their protection, armor and speed are still slow moving platforms.
Last but not least, Hinds are the need of the hour for Pakistan. It'll become a supportive platform eventually for combat with troop transport capability with lighter payloads. The Pakistanis are making a smart move here. They need time to finalize their top tier choppers between Super Viper, Chinese Z's and T-129's of the world. Then there will be some (or long) wait to fulfill these orders. Hinds would easily make do till then and help with the WOT in the Northern areas. I'd personally like to see Super Cobras here instead of Hinds but that's because I am biased towards all American military products. But Hinds are not a bad choice at all for Pakistan's needs and requirements for a tier two chopper (temporary tier 1).
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