Since 2023, when the 3rd Transportation and SAR Brigade received three of the eighteen Russian‑exported Mi‑171Sh armed combat‑transport helicopters, the unit has carried out a string of high‑profile exercises (link), (link). The latest took place on May 30, simulating the recovery of a downed pilot in high‑altitude desert terrain.
Does that scenario sound familiar to a recent real‑world event or is it just a coincidence? Your guess is as good as mine. What is clear is that the Mi‑171Sh was imported with a very specific purpose in mind: operating in rough, high‑altitude environments where survivability and firepower matter.
The 3rd Transportation and SAR Brigade, under the Northern Theater Command, also flies Z‑9 and Z‑20 helicopters as well as Y‑8 turboprop transports. But none of the domestic platforms match the Mi‑171Sh in terms of armor protection, payload, or onboard weapons. That alone explains why this rugged Russian airframe was chosen for the brigade’s most dangerous mission set of combat search and rescue.
Thursday, August 08, 2024
Propaganda Photo Of The Day: “Search and Rescue” with rockets
In 2020, the PLA ordered a batch of heavily armed Mi-171Sh military transport helicopter from Russia, and it is now confirmed that some of them are being placed under a PLAAF “search and rescue” brigade of the Northern Theater Command
Sunday, May 04, 2025
1st Transportation and SAR Brigade, Eastern Theater Command Air Force
Speaking of CASEVAC, here's some recently released PR photos of the 1st Transportation and SAR Brigade, Eastern Theater Command Air Force (here), PLA's main SAR unit (SN 51*1*). The first began with Z-8 and Mi-171 modified into SAR roles and has since expanded with Z-20 SAR coppers. The AOO of the Eastern Theater Command Air Force is the Taiwan Strait.
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