The following nations currently operate (or formerly owned) Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters in civil or military roles:
Military operators
Afghanistan Afghan Air Force
Algeria Algerian Air Force
Angola National Air Force of Angola
Armenia Armenian Air Force
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Air Force
Bangladesh Bangladesh Air Force Bangladesh Army Border Guard Bangladesh
Belarus Belarus Air Force
Bhutan Royal Bhutan Army
Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria Bulgarian Air Force
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Air Force
Cambodia Royal Cambodian Air Force
Cameroon Cameroon Air Force
Chad Chad Air Force
China
People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army Ground Force Aviation People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force
Colombia Colombian National Army Aviation Colombian Navy
Republic of the Congo
Congolese Air Force
Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo Democratic Air Force
Croatia Croatian Air Force
Cuba Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force
Czech Republic Czech Air Force
Djibouti
Djibouti Air Force
Ecuador Ecuadorian Army Aviation
Egypt Egyptian Air Force
Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea Air Force
Eritrea Eritrean Air Force
Ethiopia Ethiopian Air Force
Georgia
Georgian Air Force
Ghana Ghana Air Force
Guinea Guinea Air Force
India Indian Air Force
Indonesia Indonesian Army
Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Aviation Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air and Space Force
Iraq
Iraqi Air Force Iraqi Army Aviation
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast Air Force
Kazakhstan Kazakh Air Defense Forces
Kenya Kenya Air Force
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz Air Force
Laos Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force
Libya Libyan Air Force
Lithuania Lithuanian Air Force
Mali Malian Air Force
Mexico Mexican Air Force Mexican Naval Aviation
Moldova Moldovan Air Force
Mongolia Mongolian Air Force
Mozambique Mozambique Air Force
Myanmar Myanmar Air Force
Namibia Namibian Air Force
Nepal Nepalese Army Air Service
Nicaragua Nicaraguan Air Force
Niger Niger Air Force
Nigeria Nigerian Air Force
North Korea
Korean People's Army Air Force
North Macedonia North Macedonia Air Force
Pakistan
Pakistan Air Force Pakistan Army
Peru Peruvian Air Force Peruvian Army Peruvian Navy
Poland Polish Air Force Polish Land Forces
Russia Russian Air Force Russian Naval Aviation
Rwanda Rwandan Defence Forces
Senegal Senegalese Air Force
Serbia Serbian Air Force and Air Defense
Sierra Leone Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
Slovakia Slovak Air Force
South Sudan South Sudan Air Force
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Air Force
Sudan Sudanese Air Force
Tajikistan Tajik Air Force
Thailand Royal Thai Army
Togo
Togolese Air Force
Turkmenistan Turkmen Air Force
Uganda Ugandan Air Force
Ukraine
Ukrainian Air Force 15th Transport Aviation Brigade 25th Transport Aviation Brigade 456th Transport Aviation Brigade Ukrainian Army Aviation 11th Army Aviation Brigade 12th Army Aviation Brigade 16th Army Aviation Brigade 18th Army Aviation Brigade Ukrainian Naval Aviation 10th Naval Aviation Brigade
United States United States Air Force United States Army
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces
Venezuela Bolivarian Military Aviation of Venezuela Bolivarian Army of Venezuela Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
Vietnam Vietnam People's Air Force
Yemen Houthi movement Yemen Air Force (Captured by Houthi movement)
Zambia Zambia Air Force
Zimbabwe Air Force of Zimbabwe
Para-military, law enforcement and other government operators
Bangladesh Border Guard Bangladesh
Equatorial Guinea Government of Equatorial Guinea
Georgia Abkhazian Air Force Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia
Indonesia National Disaster Management Authority
Libya Libyan National Army
North Macedonia Ministry of Internal Affairs
Malaysia Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department
Moldova Transnistria Air Force
Myanmar United Wa State Army
Pakistan Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Paraguay
National Police of Paraguay
Poland Polish Police
Romania Ministry of Internal Affairs (Romania) 3 MI 17 and 2 MI-8
Russia Border Service of Russia Internal Troops of Russia
Republic of Korea National Police Agency (South Korea)
Turkey Turkish Gendarmerie
Turkmenistan
Ministry of Health
Ukraine National Guard of Ukraine
Civil operators
Cuba Aerogaviota
India Pawan Hans Helicopters
Indonesia Airfast Indonesia
Mongolia Mongolian Airlines
Nepal Shree Airlines
North Korea Air Koryohttp://www.firstpost.com/topic/place/pyongyang-air-koryo-mi-8-flight-video-02LCP6pWNcU-1282-2.html "Air Koryo Mi-8
Russia Altai Airlines
Barkol Aviation Kazan Air Enterprise UTAir Vladivostok Air Aeroflot Airline
Slovakia Air Transport Europe
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Airlines
United States Vertol Systems
Vietnam
Vietnam Helicopter Corporation Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company Central Vietnam Helicopter Company Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company
Former operators
Albania Albanian Air Force
Argentina Argentine Air Force
Artsakh Artsakh Defence Army
Bangladesh Bangladesh Air Force Mi-8
Canada Royal Canadian Air Force 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron operated four leased Russian Mil Mi-17-V5 designated as CH-178. Helicopters had assigned serial numbers 178404-178407.
Costa Rica Air Vigilance Service: Received a Mi-17 (Mi-8MT) donated by Nicaragua, but its operational status is doubtful due to lack of spare parts.
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Air Force
East Germany East German Air Force East German Navy
Finland Finnish Army Finnish Border Guard
Georgia Georgian Land Forces
Germany German Air Force German Navy
Guinea-Bissau Military of Guinea-Bissau
Hungary Hungarian Air Force
Japan Aum Shinrikyo Serial No. 4K-15214. Imported from Azerbaijan in 1994 for use in chemical spraying operations, but failed to obtain the required operating licenses and consequently never flew in Japan. In 2001, exported to Djibouti as J2-MAW. Aero Asahi
Laos Lao Airlines
Latvia Latvian Air Force
Madagascar Malagasy Air Force
New Zealand Heli Harvest
Poland Polish Navy
North Yemen Yemen Arab Republic Air Force
Romania Romanian Air Force
Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro Air Force
South Yemen People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Air Force
Soviet Union Soviet Air Force Soviet Army Aviation Soviet Naval Aviation Aeroflot
Republika Srpska Srpska Air Force
Somalia Somali Air Corps
Syria Syrian Arab Air Force. The Syrian government of Al-Assad fell to rebels in late 2024, and the Syrian Arab Air Force was dismantled. It was re-established as Syrian Air Force, but the revolution, and the Israeli air strikes that followed it, wrecked havoc in the inventory of the Air Force. In late 2025, the World Air Forces publication by FlightGlobal, which tracks the aircraft inventories of world's air forces and publishes its counts annually, removed all Syrian Air Force's aircraft from their World Air Forces 2026 report. It is thus questionable if the Syrian Air Force has any flying aircraft in their inventory, and in particular, any Mil Mi-8/17, as of December 2025.
FR Yugoslavia Yugoslav Air Force Yugoslav Navy
United Kingdom Empire Test Pilots' School
Yemen Yemen Air Force
See also
Mil Mi-8 Mil Mi-17
References Citations
Bibliography