Mi-26

The world's largest and most powerful helicopter in operational service, an eight-blade heavy-lift transport capable of carrying armored vehicles and downed aircraft. Used by the Russian military and civil operators for heavy cargo missions.

In service since 1983 · 12 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

295

km/h

800

km range

4,600

m ceiling

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public modern unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 12 operators

In service since 1983. Status: active · ~316 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 295 km/h

Stronger than 47% of helicopters
Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.: 255 km/h

Stronger than 38% of helicopters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 800 km

Stronger than 66% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 4,600 m

Stronger than 31% of helicopters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 33.73 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 8.15 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 28,200 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 56,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 5
Cargo payload Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.: 20,000 kg
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 82

Top 3% of helicopters

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2x Lotarev/Progress D-136 turboshafts
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 11,400 hp

Top 1% of helicopters
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turboshaft

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 316

Stronger than 70% of helicopters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 12

Stronger than 80% of helicopters

Specifications compiled from public Russian Helicopters and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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