Mi-2 Light Attack

The Mi-2 Light Attack is a light transport and close air support helicopter used by the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.

Overview
The Mi-2 is a North Korean lightly armed transport helicopter that is difficult to locate. The helicopter is equipped with two dumb fire rocket pods, each containing 7 rockets. It is very rarely seen and appears only in isolated, far-away locations. There are three guaranteed locations where Mi-2's will appear.

The first is at Ichon, during the South Korean contract 'A Farewell to Kings' to capture the King of Clubs, Lee Choi. After destroying the missiles, Choi will appear on the roof and an infinitely respawning Mi-2 will arrive to drop off a squad of soldiers on the track. A short time later, a second Mi-2 will land on the roof to extract Choi and fly him to safety. If the second Mi-2 is not destroyed or hijacked before Choi is subdued or killed, Choi will be flown to safety, and when it goes inside the restricted area the contract will fail.

The second appearance is during the first ace contract to capture the Ace of Clubs, Dung Hwangbo. After destroying Song Tower, shortly after the Mi-35 appears, an Mi-2 will appear and attempt to pick up Hwangbo. However, when it is preparing to land, an AN air superiority strike will be called in automatically. The airstrike instantly destroys this Mi-2, as well as the Mi-35 if it has not already been destroyed.

A third Mi-2 can be found in the Southern Province during the hunt for the Diamonds. This Mi-2 is located in a hot spot of KPA activity and is difficult to acquire. It flies over the top of the mountain where the Ten of Diamonds is located. If the player does obtain it, unless they kill and destroy all opposition beforehand, they will likely be shot down before an escape can be made.

Tactics
The Mi-2 Light Attack is a transport helicopter and an attack helicopter at the same time. Its rockets are not very damaging against heavily armored vehicles and tanks, but are very effective against light vehicles and infantry.

Its most practical use is as a means to safely pass through areas crawling with NK anti-air weapons and to transport a small squad of soldiers and yet still have some kind of weaponry. The helicopter itself is small, but it is larger than the KPA MD-500 Scout and has slightly stronger armor. The armor is still fairly weak however, and cannot sustain much punishment. The cockpit is much more enclosed than the MD-500 and it provides more protection, making it slightly safer to travel in.

Another note to the Mi-2 is its weight. The Mi-2 has slower ascending and descending speed compared to the MD-500, but is fairly agile, can turn quickly, and is controlled easily. However, it isn't capable of dodging anti-air missiles easily like the Scout. Another thing to note is its transport capability, it can carry three extra soldiers in total, one sits next to the pilot, while the other two crouch by the sides of the doors, using their left arm to hang onto the helicopter.

Real life
The Mi-2 Light Attack is based on the real world Mil Mi-2 "Hoplite." It is a small, lightly armored turbine-powered transport helicopter that can provide close air support, for which it is often armed with 57mm rockets and 23mm cannons.

Trivia

 * If the King of Clubs escapes at Ichon in 'A Farewell to Kings', the player can follow his Mi-2 as it flies off. The helicopter will fly to North Pyongyang near the restricted areas before disappearing, causing the contract to fail.

Related pages

 * KPA aircrafts in Playground of Destruction
 * WZ-9 Light Attack
 * Gunney Bird - Mercenaries 2: World in Flames for PlayStation 2 iteration