High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Mil Mi-24 (Russian: Миль Ми-24, NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations. In NATO circles the export versions, Mi-25 and Mi-35, are denoted with a letter suffix as "Hind D" and "Hind E" respectively. Soviet pilots called the aircraft "flying tank", or летающий танк (letayushchiy tank). More common unofficial nicknames were "Crocodile" ( Крокодил or Krokodil) due to the helicopter`s camouflage scheme and "Glass" (Стакан or Stakan) because of the flat glass plates which surround the cockpit of the Mi-24.