At least two Mi-35 ‘Hind’ helicopter gunships belonging to the Armée De l’Air Tchadienne (Chadian Air Force) have been overhauled at the TAM Management (TAMM) factory in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Details of the two Mi-35 gunships came to the fore following the recent uprising in the Chadian capital and the subsequent death of Idriss Déby.
In 2019 TAM Management and “Tbilaviamsheni” completely repaired & serviced Su-25, L-39 and Mi-24 fleets of the Chad Air Force.
According to local military sources, Oumar Déby, brother of Idriss Déby, attempted to bring back the two Mi-24 combat helicopters which have just been repaired in the Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing in Georgia to partake in the combat against the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, FACT rebels.
Both Mi-35 helicopter gunships as well as several other aircraft and helicopters were damaged in a storm on 1 July 2017 that struck the air force’s main base at International Airport.
The damaged aircraft included three helicopters; an AS-350 Fennec, a PC-12, a MiG-29 fighter, and two Su-25 attack planes.
Additionally, an Armée De l’Air Tchadienne Mi-24/35 helicopter operating from its home base at the N’Djamena/Hassan Djamous-Kossei (Chad) to Faya-Largeau in northern Chad crashed in September 2019.
Several French aircraft like the Mirage 2000s – including their sophisticated ASTAC tactical reconnaissance pods – and an AAT Beech 1900 were deployed for a search and rescue mission to retrieve the downed helicopter.
The Chadian Air Force currently operates six AS550C2, seven Mi-8MTV/Mi-171, four Mi-24Vs, and three Mi-35 and a single SA316B helicopters.