Ride of the Valkyries, Cold War Baltic edition
How about this great undated shot from the cabin of a Volksmarine (East German Democratic Republic Navy) Mi-8TB “Hip-C” in flight, looking out at a squadron of fellow travelers over its UB-32-57 unguided rocket pods. The 32-shot pods, filled with 57mm S-5 rockets mounted to six hardpoints on two outrigger pylons, gave the Hip a healthy dose of big medicine, especially in littoral use against NATO’s small fast attack vessels and landing craft.
The squadron is likely Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 (MHG-18) Kurt Barthel, which flew from Parnow from 1976 through 1991. It consisted of a dozen camouflaged Mi-8TBs, six blue-painted Mi-14BT (NATO Haze) mine clearance helicopters, and eight blue Mil-14PL ASW birds.
By the time the NVA was disbanded, the Mi-14s of the MHG-18 had completed 14,782 flight hours, and the squadron’s Mi-8s had flown a total of 32,601 hours between 1975 and 1990.
Of note, post Cold War unification, MHG’s Hips and Hazes, now disarmed for coastal SAR use, remained in Bundeswehr service, and in particular, Marineflieger (German naval air arm) service, repainted a more peaceful navy blue livery, until 1995.