The Russian Defense Ministry has distributed another video about the combat use of the latest Ka-52 Alligator reconnaissance and attack helicopter during a special military operation in Ukraine. The plot is accompanied by shots of objective control and explanations of the pilots. The rotorcraft launches only one missile - and the enemy's armored vehicles are blown to pieces.
The commander of the Ka-52 crew told about how this task was carried out. The report is military-laconic, not a single superfluous word. "They came up from a long distance, found it, identified it. Reported. Received permission to use. Applied. The system has fixed the application. Then they came closer, worked out with unguided missile weapons," the officer said.
Let's add that the "Alligator" can fly up to the enemy's positions completely unnoticed. And suddenly hit them with missiles. Either by an "Attack" guided by a laser beam, or by a more powerful "Vortex". This rocket with a tandem cumulative warhead penetrates armor up to 900 mm - no tank can withstand such a blow. The missiles are supersonic, so the Alligator can fire at several ground targets at once. And do it both during the day - from a range of up to 10 kilometers, and at night - from 8 km.
When necessary, the crew launches a large-caliber rapid-firing gun 2A42 caliber 30 mm located on the starboard side of the helicopter. In terms of shooting accuracy, no rotorcraft in the world can compare with it. In addition, the Ka-52 has a very decent supply of shots for this gun - there are 470 of them on board.
To avoid return fire, the "Alligator", having worked on the target, leaves at maximum speed. Actually, shooting down the Ka-52 is a very difficult task. The active protection of the helicopter has repeatedly saved the lives of the crew in a combat situation. At the moment of danger, the electronics of the on-board defense complex "Vitebsk" were triggered. She suggested exactly where an enemy missile with an infrared homing head was flying.
The Vitebsk blocks are placed inside the fuselage or on the external attachment points of the Ka-52. There is integrated optical and radio range reconnaissance equipment, jamming equipment and a set of so-called expendable electronic warfare equipment. These include, in particular, shot and towed traps. With proper maneuvering, they will protect the helicopter from guided missiles fired from close range.
By the way, the crew of the Alligator, the plot of which was prepared by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, does not need to be taught such maneuvers. Both the commander and the navigator have combat experience. Even before the special operation in Ukraine, both participated in the defeat of international terrorists in Syria.
Yuri Gavrilov
