How Did The US Army End Up Secretly Operating Russian-Made Helicopters?

The United States
secretly operates Soviet
-designed Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name “Hip”) military helicopoters
. The Mi-17 is a medium transport helicopter that is also used as an armed gunship in some versions. Mi-17s are used around the world – mostly in emerging countries with low budgets and in countries that had good relationships with the Soviets. It remains in production in two factories in Russia (in Kazan and Ulan-Ude) as the Mil Mi-8 (

Ukraine may have recently shot down an Mi-8 with a small FPV drone for the first time
).

Select alleged US military Mi-17 sightings

In September 2021, The War Zone wrote, “A highly secretive U.S. Army element known as the Aviation Technology Office (ATO), which is based at Felker Army Airfield, part of Fort Eustis, in Virginia, remains the most likely operator of those helicopters…” It also noted that the CIA is known to operate many foreign-produced aircraft. One Mi-171E variant (the export variant) seen in the US has the serial number 15-5207 on its tail boom.

A Mi-17 helicopter of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force

In October 2024, The Aviationist also reported on the use of Mi-17 helicopters by the US Army’s secretive Aviation Technology Office following more sightings in North Carolina.

“On Oct. 2, 2024, photos of a mysterious Mi-17 started circulating online, with some accounts stating that the helicopter was taking part in the hurricane relief effort in North Carolina. These claims, however, proved to be wrong.:. The Mi-17 performed a quick turnaround and refueling [at the Columbia Aviation FBO], before departing immediately thereafter to the southwest.” – The Aviationist

Mil Mi-17 helicopters in US service:

Observed variant:

Mil Mi-171E (perhaps others)

Number of observed Mi-17s:

5

Possible number operated:

Up to 30

Operators:

CIA, Army’s Aviation Technology Office (perhaps others)

The Aviationist says one Mi-17 helicopter seen operating in South Carolina used the callsign “Helicopter 2133” (reflecting the registration number 20-2133 on its tail boom). The helicopter is sometimes spotted operating in the US without identification markings. In August 2024, a Mi-171E1 was seen landing in North Carolina county unloading troops with backpacks, who then vanished into the woods. The troops left on the same helicopter the next morning.

Afghan Air Force Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters

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Which Countries Have Combat Aircraft & Helicopter Export Orders?

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US may operate up to 30 Mi-17s

The Aviationist says the US Army’s secretive Aviation Technology Office is believed to operate several Mi-17 helicopters. The publication says that so far, 5 different Mi-17s have been spotted, but the actual number could be around 30 operated in the US.

These have likely been retrofitted for US operations. For example, the observed unmarked Mi-171E helicopter is seen with some unusual equipment, including an unknown radar on its nose, an electro-optical/infrared turret below its nose (which could be a SAFIRE 380X sensor), and various antennas on the tail boom.

Aviation Technology Office:

  • Active: Since March 2, 1981
  • Role: Clandestine special operations
  • Service branch: US Army
  • Base: Felker Army Airfield, Fort Eustis, Virginia
  • Aircraft known operated: Mil Mi-17, Bell 407

It is suggested that the US military (including the CIA) use Mi-17s and such foreign aircraft for secret operations so as not to draw attention to flying American-built helicopters (like when the US was fighting in Afghanistan). They are used for secret missions when US forces must maintain a low profile.

Mil Mil-17 “Hip” medium helicopter

Country of origin:

Soviet Union

Number built:

Over 17,000 (including Mi-8)

Capacity:

30 people or 9,000 lbs of cargo

Operated by:

Total over 75 countries (including former operators)

First flight:

1961 (Mi-8), 1975 (Mi-17)

Together with the Mi-8, the Mi-17 is the world’s most-produced helicopter, with over 17,000 built since 1961. Around 12,000 Mil Mil-17-family helicopters are believed to have been built and exported to dozens of countries worldwide. It would likely have been reasonably easy for the United States to have purchased them.

Related

A Closer Look At All The Different Jets Donated To Ukraine

As many as half a dozen Western (mostly European) fighter jets seem to be on the cards to be eventually donated to Ukraine.

US donated ex-Afghan Mi-17s to Ukraine

In addition to the Mi-17s operated by the US military, the US was one of the first countries to donate helicopters to Ukraine. According to the Oryx blog, the US donated 20 Mi-17V5s and 1 Mi-8MT to Ukraine in the early days of the war.

Russia air force multirole helicopter Mil Mi-8 landing

Photo: JetKat l Shutterstock

Before the collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban in 2021, the US was supplying Afghanistan with various weaponry – including Mi-17 helicopters. The

Taliban have managed to restore a limited number of Mi-17s (as seen in one crashing in May 2024)
.

Ukraine is one of the major states to have emerged from the corpse of the USSR, and it inherited much of the Soviet’s aviation facilities and know-how. The US was paying Ukraine to service at least five of these helicopters when Afghanistan imploded with the Taliban taking over.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the US quickly donated these helicopters already in Ukraine (which now had nowhere to go) to Ukraine. Soon, images emerged online showing a Mi-17 helicopter painted in the brown-green-black Afghan Air Force camouflage operating with a Ukrainian blue-on-yellow Ukrainian roundel.

Other Mil-17 helicopters intended for Afghanistan had been moved to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base—still painted with Afghan Air Force liveries. The US quickly donated some of these Soviet helicopters to Ukraine, dispatching them on C-17s via Slovakia. It is unclear how many, if any, of the Mil-17s originally earmarked for Afghanistan the US continues to store at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

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