The Cobra and the Mongoose: the Legacy Of The Mi-24 and the Stinger Missile in The Soviet-Afghan WarBy Walter KunkleThe Soviet Union’s decade-long incursion into Afghanistan has been compared to the American experience in Vietnam. The Mi-24 helicopter was perhaps more emblematic of this disparity than any other weapon the U.S.S.R. used throughout the war. Fig 1: A Diagram of the MI-24 Attack HelicopterEarly on in the war in Afghanistan, Soviet helicopters were the only combat units that performed efficiently. Fig 2: A Diagram of the Stinger Missile and LauncherThe Stinger had an indisputable impact upon its introduction to the Soviet-Afghan War. A Stinger missile had a roughly 20% chance to down an aircraft, as opposed to the 3% chance afforded by the SA-7 missile.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 25, 2023 00:45 UTC