In some shots of northern Iraq I’ve seen a Russian Mi-24 helicopter in the background while the reporter is talking about U.S. troops. A few minutes ago co-woeker e-mailed a photo of an Mi-24 painted up like a golden eagle:
Are the U.S. forces using Russian helicopters in Afghanistan and northern Iraq? If so, then why? If not, then what’s it doing there and why is it painted like a golden eagle?
What do you mean by painted like a golden eagle?
Could it be a white eagle? We know that Polish special forces are in Iraq. Poland uses the Mi-24.
There are also a small number of Bulgarians in Iraq. Not sure what their role is, but Bulgaria uses the Mi-24 as well.
Is there a photo online that we can reference?
I saw the shot in northern Iraq, and assumed it was left there when the airfield was “abandoned” (it was still lightly defended, but not used for aircraft anymore).
here is the “eagle” helo in question.
I’m not familiar with the white eagle. Since it didn’t look like a bald eagle, I assumed it was a golden eagle.
The white eagle is the emblem of Poland. It’s white and looks like a crazed chicken on steroids. 
You can see it here: http://www.poland.pl/info/information_about_poland.htm (click the emblem to enlarge)
Right. I knew that the white eagle was the symbol of Poland. When I read your post I, having seen the entire helicopter painted like a bird, was picturing the whole aircraft painted like a white eagle. It didn’t occur to me until after I posted that you may have thought I meant that the aircraft just had a white eagle emblem on it.
The only emblems on the “golden eagle” are the number 117 and a set of “arrowheads” or side-facing chevrons. Those are not U.S. tail codes, but appear (on my badly-in-need-of-replacement monitor) to be Hungarian markings.
Are the Hungarians in it, then?
(I have to whack my monitor occasionall when it blacks out on me.)
I first saw that pic at least six months to a year ago. It was e-mailed to me by my brother, no idea where he got it. Certainly isn’t recent.
I’ve seen this set of photos several times over the last couple of years. At first it was said to be of Russians in Afghanistan, then Russians in Chechnya, then Americans in Afghanistan.
Since there is no military reason to paint a helicopter like that, my best guess is that it is a helicopter used in airshows rather than combat.
Whatever it is, it’s one butt-ugly sucker. IMO, anyway.
Eagles, the real birds, are beautiful, btw.
Could be a privately owned aircraft. Military hardware (particularly Russian) is not so hard to come by now days.
The painted helicopter is not in Afghanistan, but rather in Eastern Europe somewhere and merely attributed to Afghanistan.
Possible reasons for US forces using Russian helicopters is that a Russian helicopter would stand out less in the Afghan landscape than an American helicopter would, as Afghan forces themselves used Russian helicopters - good for covert operations.
While I had not seen that particular helicopter before, I’m sure I saw an Mi-24 in the background on CNN broadcasts from northern Iraq.
Good for covert? Painted like THAT?
I can offer one possible explanation.
There is a Canadian company based out of Toronto that rents aircraft to various people and organizations. Both fixed wing and flutter wing.
Usually these a/c are painted white , when operated by the UN , and some other schemes when operated by oil companies and the like.
I am gonna guess that the US is leasing almost all hardware lying around , from trucks to helo’s. I can see some applications that would allow leased helo’s to take up the slack that may tie down a blackhawk for too long.
The paint scheme may just be for the same reason that nations have to paint Big Flags , simply to identify that its a non-combatant in a war zone , and non iraqi , since thats one of the birds that the Iraqis would fly.
Declan
Declan: That makes sense. Maybe the heli in the b.g. is being used by a relief organization?
A relief organization of sorts probably. During the Vietnam war , the CIA either operated Air America and Flying Tiger air cargo. If that helo in question was a MI-28 , then it was designed for an air assault role of company strength.
Hauling kurdish (maybe its a kurdish airforce helo) forces , along with CIA operators and the special forces types would be among that aircrafts mission brief.
Or its the russian peace corp.
Declan
Erm, sorry, I thought I said that the painted helicopter was not in Afghanistan. By ‘painted helicopter’ I meant that exact one in particular, not all Russian helicopters :o.
That particular painted helicopter is one-of-a-kind as far as I know, and the ‘covert’ ones would not be painted with such an, erm, loud paint scheme - I hope, anyway 
Okay , i think I know the one you are talking about , it was an MI-25 hind export model , for either the hungarian or bulgarian airforce and aviation week did a cover shot of it.
It almost looks like a screaming eagle .
Declan