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An American Minigun on a Soviet Helicopter? Ukraine, what did you do?

Air Crew Chief Cpl. Michael R. Parker fires a GAU-17 mini-gun while his UH-1 Huey makes a pass over the hot target area for which his crew is providing close air support at Shoalwater Bay, Australia, on March 12, 1998, during Exercise Valiant Usher 98–1. (DoD photo by 1st Lt. Kristen A. Lasica, US Marine Corps.) Public domain

A Soviet helicopter built in the 1960s just showed up in Ukraine with an American minigun strapped to the side, and it’s shredding Iranian drones like confetti at a Moscow parade.

Welcome to the latest Frankenweapon in Ukraine’s arsenal: the Mi-8 “Hip” with US-supplied M134 Miniguns, built for the sole purpose of turning Shahed kamikaze drones into expensive lawn darts.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian footage revealed Mi-8 helicopters sporting serious upgrades. These birds now carry optical targeting systems bolted right in front of the landing gear, featuring daytime cameras, thermal imagers, and even searchlights for night ops. Think of it as giving an old Lada a Tesla-grade dashboard.

But the star of the show isn’t the optics. It’s the unmistakable growl of an American M134 Minigun now bolted to the side gunner’s station. The same weapon that earned the nickname “the bullet hose of democracy” in Vietnam is now chewing through Shahed drones over Ukraine.

For months, Ukrainian helicopter crews had to make do with PKT 7.62 mm machine guns; the kind of gear the Soviets designed for infantry suppression, not swatting drones.

The PKT fires 500 to 750 rounds a minute, which sounds fast until you remember a Shahed is a flying…