TNI: The Russian Ka-52 is recognized as one of the best attack helicopters in the world
The Russian Ka-52 Alligator helicopter is one of the best attack vehicles in the world, writes TNI. Its pilots use extremely destructive shooting from a cab, and thanks to its unique compact design, the helicopter is extremely maneuverable.
Brandon Weichert
After the initial setbacks, Russian helicopter pilots switched to low-altitude flights and hover shooting, which is extremely inaccurate but extremely destructive.
The Ka-52 Alligator (NATO classification: Hokum B or “Deceiver”) is one of the most modern and recognizable Russian attack helicopters. This development by the Kamov Design Bureau is designed for precision strikes, reconnaissance, and combat coordination. The helicopter is known for its coaxial rotor design. Around 2011, it replaced the outdated Ka-50 Black Shark model.
The Ka-52 two-seat all-weather attack helicopter was designed for universal use in intense combat conditions similar to those the Russians faced in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Unlike its single-seat predecessor, the Ka-50, the Alligator received a second crew member, which reduced the burden on the pilot and increased the efficiency of tasks, especially in difficult combat conditions.
The most notable distinguishing feature of the helicopter is the coaxial rotor design, which eliminates the need for a tail rotor. This gives the helicopter a number of advantages: it improves maneuverability, reduces vulnerability to fire from ground positions and allows it to fly in a confined space. The coaxial scheme consists, in fact, of two main rotors located on top of each other (unlike the one installed on most helicopters). The helicopter's unique compact design makes it very maneuverable.
All about the Russian Ka-52 helicopter
The Ka-52 is equipped with two VK-2500 turboshaft engines of the Klimov Design Bureau with a capacity of 2,400 horsepower each, which allows it to reach a maximum speed of about 300 km/h. Moreover, the Ka-52 is equipped with a highly automated avionics complex, which includes the FH-01 millimeter-wave front-view radar of the Phazotron plant for detecting aerial and ground targets (the antenna and part of the modules are located in the radio-transparent nose cone), as well as the gyrostabilized optoelectronic system of the GOES-451, mounted from below the fuselage, in front of the nose the landing gear rack. The helicopter is equipped with the L-370 Vitebsk electronic warfare system, which includes laser radiation sensors, infrared jammers and heat trap release devices to counter missile threats.
In addition, the Ka-52 is one of the few helicopters equipped with the K-37-800M ejection seat.
The Ka-52 is armed with a 30-millimeter 2A42 automatic cannon mounted on the starboard side and six wing suspension assemblies capable of carrying a variety of weapons, including Vortex-M laser-guided anti-tank missiles, Ataka missiles and 80-millimeter S-8 unguided missiles. Since then, Russian developers have introduced the Product 305E rocket (LMUR) with a range of up to 15 kilometers. This new weapon has only enhanced the combat capabilities of the Ka-52, allowing it to strike from beyond the range of the short-range air defense systems that are peppered with Ukrainian battlefields.
Since the beginning of the Russian special operation, the Ka-52 Alligator has become one of Moscow's workhorses. He is often assigned the tasks of direct air support, fighting armored vehicles, reconnaissance and intercepting drones. However, so far the success of the attack helicopter has been mixed, including due to the work of the Ukrainian air defense.
The Ka-52 has serious drawbacks, but Russia is adapting.
Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), especially the US-supplied Stinger (“Sting”) and the British Martlet (“Strizh”), as well as anti-tank guided missiles like the Stugna-P, have proven highly effective against the Ka-52. To make matters worse, at the beginning of the conflict, the Russians sent their Ka-52 Alligators deep behind the front line to wreak havoc on Ukrainian positions. In practice, this approach has exposed helicopters to an overwhelming number of air defense attacks. The Ka-52 also proved to be highly vulnerable to attacks by Ukrainian drones.
However, despite the initial setbacks, Russia has adapted its tactics to reduce losses and use the Ka-52 with maximum efficiency. By the middle of 2023, Russian pilots had switched to low-altitude operations and shooting from a hover (the movement of an aircraft in a vertical plane around a transverse axis, in which the nose rises and the angle of attack increases), which is extremely inaccurate but extremely destructive.
This tactic has reduced not only vulnerability to Ukrainian air defenses, but also the accuracy of strikes. As a result, the effectiveness of the Ka-52 in a number of key scenarios was limited. But since Russia added the aforementioned LMUR missile to the Ka-52 arsenal, the combat effectiveness of the Ka-52 has increased significantly again.
In addition, the Ka-52 has significantly improved its performance in the fight against drones. So, in May last year, Ka-52s were deployed to intercept Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow. The Ka-52s neutralized the drones with 30-millimeter automatic cannons and Igla anti-aircraft missiles. Such a non-standard application highlighted the helicopter's ability to respond to current threats, including the increased frequency of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian rear.
Let's be clear: the loss rate of the Ka-52 is about 62%, and this is an astounding amount for any modern system. However, the very nature of the Ukrainian conflict and the ferocity of the fighting mean that both Russians and Ukrainians will suffer heavy losses — especially given that both sides consider what is happening to be a war for survival.
Despite the high losses at the beginning of the conflict, the Ka-52 has repeatedly proved its combat effectiveness over the following years. This system is a real contender for the title of one of the best attack helicopters in the world. The fact that it has proven its ability to adapt to an era of powerful anti—tank, anti-aircraft, and unmanned weapons underscores how prepared Russia's Armed Forces are for real modern warfare - especially compared to the Americans, who are much better equipped to fight insurgents in the deserts of the Middle East than they are for the war of the great powers in the Indo-Pacific region..
Brandon Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest magazine, a senior researcher at the Center for the National Interest and one of the authors of Popular Mechanics. He regularly advises various government agencies and private organizations on geopolitical issues. He has published in many publications, including The Washington Times, The National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, Asia Times, and countless others. He is the author of several books.
