# Ivorian Mi-24 Attack fleet faces collapse after latest crash

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2025/10/ivorian-mi-24-attack-fleet-faces-collapse-after-latest-crash/
- Published: 2025-10-28T08:47:58+01:00
- Author: Ekene Lionel

The troubled attack helicopter fleet of the Force Aérienne de la Côte d’Ivoire (
FACI, Ivory Coast Air Force) has suffered another serious blow. On Monday, October
27, 2025, an Mi-24D Hind helicopter performed an emergency landing at Korhogo airport
in the country’s north. While the crew escaped without injury, the incident has 
effectively neutralized a critical national security asset and exposed the unsustainability
of the small fleet.

According to an official statement from the Ivorian Ministry of Defence, the helicopter
experienced a “technical breakdown at takeoff” around 1:00 p.m. local time. The 
aircraft, which had just entered its ascent, was forced down onto the runway. Photos
from the scene show the helicopter lying on its side with substantial damage, including
a detached tail boom. The air force command immediately dispatched a technical team
to secure the site and begin an investigation to determine the exact cause of the
failure.

![](https://www.military.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ivory-coast-mi-24D-helicopter-
crashed-1024x576.jpeg)

![](https://www.military.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ivory-coast-mi-24D-helicopter-
crash-1024x768.jpeg)

The location of the incident is as relevant as the crash itself. Korhogo is the 
main forward operating base for FACI air assets conducting counter-insurgency (COIN)
and border security missions in northern Ivory Coast. The region faces a persistent
threat from Islamist militant groups, including affiliates of Jama’at Nasr al-Islam
wal Muslimin (JNIM), spilling over from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.

These operations place a heavy and continuous demand on the air force’s limited 
assets. The Mi-24 Hind, a rugged and heavily armed gunship, is the FACI’s only dedicated
attack helicopter. It provides essential armed reconnaissance and close air support
for Ivorian ground forces deployed to secure the border. The high operational tempo
required for this mission puts immense stress on airframes, engines, and crews. 
This latest mishap removes a key asset from that fight, creating a capability gap
at a critical time.

#### A Troubled History of Attrition

This incident is not an isolated event; it is the latest in a long series of devastating
losses that have plagued the FACI’s Hind fleet. The Ivorian Mi-24 force has been
trapped in a cycle of acquisition, attrition, and replacement for nearly a decade,
suggesting deep, systemic issues with maintenance, training, or the viability of
the airframes themselves.

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The modern fleet’s story begins in 2017, when the Ivory Coast [received ](https://www.military.africa/2018/06/in-2017-air-force-of-ivory-coast-received-three-attack-helicopters-from-russia/)
three refurbished ex-Bulgarian Mi-24D helicopters to bolster its COIN capabilities.
This small force almost immediately began to shrink.

The first loss occurred in 27 November 2019, when an Mi-24D serial TU-VHR was destroyed
after a collision between the helicopter and an Mi-17 serial TU-VHM that was parked
on the ground at Katiola (Ivory Coast). A March 18, 2020, [crash followed, ](https://www.military.africa/2020/03/ivory-coast-air-force-mi-24-assault-helicopter-crash/)
when an Mi-24D (serial TU-VHO) crashed at Felix Houphouet Boigny airport in Abidjan.
The Mi-24 helicopter was operated by the Escadrille de Chasse (attack squadron) 
based at Base Aérienne de Abidjan/Port Bouet.

In response, the Ivorian government [acquired ](https://www.military.africa/2020/09/ivory-coast-receives-more-mi-24-attack-helicopter/)
two more Mi-24 helicopters as attrition replacements in September 2020. These aircraft
were also understood to be refurbished, Soviet-era models, [delivered ](https://www.military.africa/2021/02/ivory-coast-receives-more-mi-24-attack-helicopter-2/)
via a Ukrainian Il-76 transport. This briefly restored the fleet to two aircraft.

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That new fleet was halved just one year later. In September 2021, an Mi-24 [crashed ](https://www.military.africa/2021/09/ivory-coast-loses-another-mi-24-military-helicopter/)
during a reconnaissance mission near the northern border, killing all five people
on board. That fatal crash left the FACI with a total active fleet of _one_ Mi-24
Hind. It is this last remaining helicopter that is believed to have crashed in Korhogo
on Monday. If confirmed, the FACI’s entire Hind fleet has now been lost to attrition.

#### The Hind-D: A Capable but Demanding Platform

For the semi-technical analyst, the specific variant involved, the Mi-24D (NATO 
reporting name: Hind-D), is telling. This is the classic 1970s-era gunship, recognisable
by its tandem “double-bubble” cockpit for the weapon systems officer (front) and
pilot (rear). It is a formidable machine, armoured against small-arms fire and armed
with a 12.7mm Yak-B Gatling gun in a chin turret, 57mm S-5 rocket pods, and potentially
anti-tank guided missiles.

However, the Hind-D is also a complex, maintenance-heavy aircraft from a previous
generation. The airframes obtained by Ivory Coast were all second-hand, ex-Warsaw
Pact machines, meaning they already had decades of flight hours and material fatigue
before arriving.

Operating such vintage hardware presents substantial logistical challenges. Sourcing
spare parts for Soviet-era systems is a notoriously difficult process, one complicated
further by the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted supply chains from both Russia
and Ukraine. Without a robust supply of spares and highly specialised technicians,
keeping these complex helicopters airworthy under a high op-tempo is nearly impossible.

This pattern of crashes points away from isolated pilot error and toward a systemic
failure. The chain of events suggests a combination of ageing airframes, a critical
shortage of spare parts, and perhaps insufficient flight hours for crews to maintain
proficiency in handling emergencies. When a fleet is reduced to one or two aircraft,
pilots cannot fly often enough, maintenance crews are overworked, and the entire
system becomes brittle.

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The Ivorian Ministry of Defence investigation will determine the immediate cause
of the Korhogo crash. The broader strategic question, however, is what comes next.
The FACI has demonstrated a clear and present need for an armed helicopter. It must
now decide whether to procure more ageing, refurbished Hinds or finally invest in
a more modern, sustainable, and supportable platform better suited for its vital
counter-insurgency mission.

**Russian Response to Frequent Helicopter Crashes**

In response to the frequent helicopter crashes in Africa, Russia in 2024 [explained ](https://www.military.africa/2024/03/unauthorized-mro-subpar-parts-and-training-gaps-the-potential-culprits-behind-africas-helicopter-crashes/)
that cannot be solely blamed on the helicopters themselves. Unauthorised MRO, subpar
parts, and training gaps are the potential culprits. By adopting stricter maintenance
procedures, using genuine parts, and investing in proper pilot training, African
operators can improve safety and ensure the continued effectiveness of their helicopter
fleets, Russia says.

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