which connects the M230 Chain Gun to the helmet, enabling pilots to fire at whatever they look at. The Soviets began developing the Mi-24 Hind in the 1960s, entering active service by 1972.

The Soviet Mi-24 was a testament to the Soviet preference for brute force and power over finesse or whiz-bang technological wizardry. These flying beasts were killers. At the height of the Cold ...