Mi-8

The Mi-8 and Mi-17 "Hip" are medium sized transport and utility helicopters. They appear throughout the Modern Warfare series and in Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

It makes its first appearance in the campaign mission "The Coup" and is seen throughout the entire game. It operates as a troop transport for the majority of the game, transporting enemy soldiers who fast-rope from the helicopters. One notable example of the Mi-8's role in the game is during the campaign mission "Hunted". After being shot down in Western Russia, Captain Price, John "Soap" MacTavish, Gaz and Nikolai are pursued by Ultranationalist forces. In the level "War Pig", two Mi-8s are seen dropping OpFor troops, but the player can shoot them down with RPGs. Five Mi-8s appear in the campaign mission "Heat", while Soap is covering the SAS commandos' retreat with a minigun. In fact, it is possible to shoot down all five helicopters to prevent more troops from appearing later on. It is also seen dropping troops at the end of "One Shot, One Kill", during "Shock and Awe" and during "Ultimatum".

In Acts 2 & 3, most Mi-8s cannot be shot down, even with an RPG-7.

Two Loyalist Mi-8s appear in "Game Over". Sergeant Kamarov and his forces fast rope down to rescue Captain Price and Soap MacTavish after the latter kills Zakhaev. When in the air, it always has its hatch open.

In mission Hunted, it is possible to destroy Mi-8 without a Stinger. To do this, player must cook a grenade, and throw it inside the helicopter. If done correctly, Mi-8 will blow up and fall down. However, the player cannot continue with mission, as the Mi-8 is already destroyed.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 the Mi-8 is used throughout most of the levels involving Russian forces and is featured multiple times throughout the game. The Mi-8 can be seen dropping off troops in several missions, notably in "Exodus" and airlifting vehicles in the level "Contingency". It is also used by FSB airport security in "No Russian". There is also an Mi-8 that appears as a static object on the multiplayer map "Highrise". They also appear at the end of the Special Ops mission Suspension, dropping in troops. Since the mission Overwatch is based on Hunted, Mi-8s appear heavily in the level, dropping troops in. They can easily be destroyed by any of the AC-130's weapons, although the 25mm gun is much more effective. However, they don't show up as any kind of heat signature or target, so the player on the ground typically has to target them using the laser designator in order for the gunner to see their position. Also they don't seem to be solid objects, as the laser designator's beam often passes right through them depending on the angle. This can only be seen through the eyes of the AC-130 gunner.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops

Players will encounter the Mi-8 six times during the campaign:

In the mission "Vorkuta", Mason first uses an improvised harpoon gun to bring down an Mi-8 as step six of the escape plan, "Skewer the winged beast"; during the final part of the getaway, Mason can use the DShK MG mounted on the truck to shoot down the chasing Mi-8.
In the mission "Executive Order", Mason and Woods have to dodge the patrolling Mi-8s.
In the mission "Numbers", an Mi-8 flew over Dr. Clarke's lab to land troops to recover his research.
In the mission "Rebirth":
- Mason needs to dodge the Mi-8 searchlights as he made his way towards the bioweapon lab.
- Hudson can first shoot down an Mi-8 as it is unloading enemy troops, but his BTR-60 will be destroyed by another one. Later, Hudson will need to grab a Strela-3 to shoot down two Mi-8 before he and his team can push on towards the bioweapon lab.
In the mission "Redemption", Mason needs to pick up a Valkyrie rocket launcher (Strela-3 on Wii) from the ground to shoot down two Mi-8s circling above the Rusalka deck. If the player manages to shoot them down with just one rocket, the Double Whammy achievement/trophy will be unlocked.
In the mission "Payback", Woods and Mason shoot one down while flying the Hind.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The Mi-8 (now referred to as Mi-17) returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and can be seen dropping in enemy Juggernauts in Survival Mode. They cannot be shot down, even with a Predator Missile.

It appears in the campaign multiple times rappelling soldiers to assault the player. Makarov and the Inner Circle use an Mi-17 in "Turbulence" to ambush the FSO and capture President Vorshevsky. In "Back on the Grid", an Mi-17 is used by Makarov to transport the chemical weapon out of Sierra Leone, which Task Force 141 fails to stop. Russian Forces rappel from Mi-17s in "Persona Non Grata", "Bag and Drag" and "Iron Lady". Mi-17s are transporting BTR-80s around Prague in "Eye of the Storm" and the Czech Resistance shoots one down over a courtyard.