Experts called the advantages of the Ka-52 helicopter, which is used in the operation in Ukraine
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation showed video footage of combat use during a special operation in Ukraine of Ka-52 Alligator attack two-seater helicopters. The footage shows a pair of helicopters destroying targets hidden behind trees. According to the Ministry of Defense, these are "armored vehicles of Ukrainian nationalists", and helicopters use "anti-tank guided missiles" to defeat them.
The military department also reported that army aviation helicopters accompany columns of armored vehicles, destroy enemy equipment and deliver troops.
Experts told the newspaper.Ru", that now the entire line of Russian army aviation is in demand on the battlefield, but the Ka-52 has an important advantage over other helicopters - the absence of a vulnerable tail boom, the defeat of which deprives the helicopters of control.
"Obviously, they are more maneuverable and more reliable. You can shoot off the tail of an ordinary helicopter and it will fall. If the Alligator's tail is shot off, it will not fall," explained Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis.
Another advantage of the Ka-52 is its relatively small dimensions. This allows it to be placed on the decks of warships, even relatively small ones, such as frigates.
- says Konstantin Sivkov, Doctor of Military Sciences.
According to him, the Ka-52 compares favorably with its predecessor, the Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter, with a crew of two people. "The Black Shark helicopter is single and the pilot has a very heavy load - you need to drive and shoot. Experience has shown that it is better to have two people: one is a weapon operator and the other is a pilot," Sivkov said.
The expert notes that in the Ka-52, both crew members sit side by side, which allows them to interact more effectively in flight. At the same time, in case of damage to the car or injury to one of the crew members, the operator will be able to control the car, and the pilot will be able to fire.
The Ka-52 is armed with a 30-mm cannon that allows firing at a speed of 460 rounds per minute, two 23-mm double-barreled guns, guided anti-tank missiles with a laser guidance system and a firing range of up to 10 km, as well as unguided 122-mm and 80-mm missiles and aerial bombs.
The onboard radar system allows you to track the terrain and ensure flight at extremely low altitudes, as well as to record and guide moving objects. All this makes the Ka-52 a universal combat vehicle capable of both firing at objects in motion and destroying military equipment from a long distance, rising several meters above the ground. For this, he was even nicknamed the "flying tank".
At the same time, the arsenal of combat helicopters of the Russian army aviation is not limited to one Ka-52. "Alligators" successfully complement the combat Mi-28N "Night Hunter". It is lower than the Ka-52 and easier to control. According to Konstantin Sivkov, despite significantly lower combat capabilities, the military will continue to use the Mi-24 transport and strike and their export modifications of the Mi-35.
Obviously, Sivkov believes that the demonstration of the combat capabilities of the Ka-52 will increase their export potential. These machines are already being delivered to Egypt, and at the end of 2021, the representative of Rosoboronexport, Sergey Kornev, said that Russia had signed contracts for the supply of Ka-52 to other countries, but did not specify which ones. In addition, China recently announced plans to purchase the Ka-52 in the ship version.
Denis Telmanov