MONUC is one of the largest and most robust peace keeping operations ever undertaken by the UN. The Aviation Contingents are by far the key elements in the arsenal of MONUC in achieving its mandate of maintaining peace in this huge country, the second largest in Africa. The tasks required by UN from the Mi-35 Sqn were to provide armed escort, fire support, anti-armour support, reconnaissance, information gathering and MEDEVAC, all these both by day as well as night. The Mi-17 utility helicopters were to undertake tasks including troop induction, cargo carriage, under slung operations, SAR, CASEVAC and MEDEVAC, reconnaissance and surveillance, both by day and night.