picture 169006

As of the second half of the 1990s and through the first half of the 2000s, the MINURSO contingent included four Mil Mi-8 helicopters, mostly drawn from the Russian Air Force. All were painted in white overall, wore Russian flags and registration numbers – but the latter two were often applied in different fashion than shown here: flags on the fin, and registration numbers on intakes. All were equipped with weather radar in a bulb under the nose, and had a winch for search and rescue purposes. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)