The Mil Mi-8 'Hip' is undoubtedly the most important design the Soviet helicopter industry has ever produced, a milestone comparable only to the US Huey. It was developed from the earlier Mi-4 with new turboshaft turbines which allowed a significantly redesigned fuselage of greater volume and passenger capacity. The great success of the Mi-8, however, was its versatility in adopting a wide variety of roles than than a standard assault transport, among these include electronic counter-measures, airborne communications, airborne jamming, anti-submarine warfare (as the Mi-14 described separately) and ultimately, as an attack gunship, the first Soviet helicopter of this type upon which the subsequent Mi-24 was based upon. Over 70 countries have adopted the Mi-8, the grand majority of these being former Warsaw Pact nations and Soviet client states including China and India in addition to various civilian operators. All in all and after over four decades of distinguished service which has included conflicts such as the Afghanistan War and the Chechen Wars, the Mi-8 will remain as one of the most important workhorses of numerous militaries around the world well into the new century.

The initial single-engine prototype Mi-8 'Hip-A' first flew on 9 July 1961 while a definitive two-engine prototype, the 'Hip-C' flew one year later. This same designation applied to initial military and civilian transport versions known as the Mi-8T which could carry up to 24 passengers or troops. Other military variants include the Mi-8VPK 'Hip-D' for airborne communications, the Mi-8SMV 'Hip-J' ECM variant, the Mi-8PPA 'Hip-K' airborne jammer platform, and the Mi-9 'Hip-G' airborne command post. A significantly upgraded assault transport variant is known in Russian service as the Mi-8MT 'Hip-H' (known as the Mi-17 for export) which is notable for having the tail rotor on the starboard rather than the port side as well as an uprated engine and transmission plus various fuselage improvements for higher payload capacities. Sub-variants include the Mi-8MTPB 'Hip-K derivative' (Mi-17P) jamming and ECM platform and the Mi-8MTV (Mi-17I, -17M, -17V) with more powerful engines. Lastly, attack gunship variants began with the Mi-8 'Hip-E' with six weapons pylons and four lanch rails while retaining the transport capabilities of other models. A more advanced gunship variant of the Mi-8MT/Mi-17 is known as the Mi-8TVK.