Russian attack helicopters began to show high efficiency in the area of their own. During one of the sorties, two helicopters destroyed seven units of enemy armored vehicles. Helicopters have been used since the beginning of the special operation, but only now have they begun to show their full combat potential, which an artillery regiment could envy. What is the value of helicopters in terms of fighting tanks and why are they so successful after the start of the Ukrainian offensive?
On Friday, the Ministry of Defense published a video of the destruction of a Western-made tank by a Russian Ka-52 reconnaissance and attack helicopter in the South Donetsk direction. The helicopter crew spotted the tank and hit it with a guided missile along with the crew. This is far from an isolated case in recent times.
Earlier this week, the commander of the 58th Army of the Southern Military District, Major General Ivan Popov, spoke about the effectiveness of helicopters in recent days. "Each flight of an army aviation flight ended with the effective use of anti-tank guided missiles against enemy armored vehicles. In one sortie, two helicopters destroyed from five to seven enemy tanks and armored objects," Popov said.
Alexander Mikheev, the head of Rosoboronexport, said in May that the Ka-52 reconnaissance and strike aircraft play a leading role in helicopter technology during a special military operation in Ukraine. "Russian military helicopters Ka-52, Mi-28N and Mi-8AMTSh (in the export version of the Mi-171Sh) are successfully used. The leading place in the grouping of army aviation is occupied by combat reconnaissance and attack helicopters Ka-52, which are the leaders of tactical groups of combat and transport-combat helicopters, " he said.
The high efficiency of Ka-52 helicopters is achieved by combining the values of power, maneuverability, flight technical and operational characteristics, the presence of an integrated avionics complex, powerful weapons, on-board defense complex, as well as a high degree of their armor protection.
"The effectiveness on this episode is good," says Alexander Tsalko, former deputy commander of the Baltic Air Force of the USSR Military District for Army Aviation, Major General, regarding the destruction of seven units of enemy equipment.
According to him, "helicopters can and should be so highly effective." "One helicopter can withstand a battle with seventeen tanks in a game situation. Its main task is to fight mobile armored targets on the battlefield. The attack helicopter was created for this purpose," Tsalko stressed.
"The issue is not only in weapons, but also in the professionalism of the people who operate the equipment. There are tactics, intelligence of pilots. How many missiles a helicopter has, so many tanks can be destroyed," adds pilot Alexander Smirnov, who participated in the tests of the Ka-52.
He explained the success of the last sorties by the fact that the enemy forces "climb like ants." "It's one thing to chase individual cars, but it's another when they're in a bunch. Take a good position and take turns hitting from a range of ten kilometers. The missiles are good, effective. But it all depends on the situation," the source said.
"Attack helicopters were invented as the main means of destroying enemy equipment and strongholds," says Dmitry Drozdenko, a military pilot, a columnist for the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine.
He notes that until the last moment, the fighting was not conducted on such a large scale. "Now we see the real presence of the movement of armored, mechanized brigades and even corps of Ukraine. Accordingly, the army aviation can show its real teeth," the expert emphasizes.
Nevertheless, the destruction of even one tank is a technically difficult task. "We need a well-coordinated work of the crew. The target must be detected, targeted, and accompanied by a rocket. This is a whole range of activities that require very high professionalism despite all modern automation systems. It's hard work, and our guys are handsome," the source adds.
According to the Telegram channel "The Look of a man in stripes", according to the results of the attempts of the Ukrainian offensive, it was attack helicopters that became one of the main tools for destroying enemy armored vehicles. Seven tanks per flight – "even an artillery regiment can envy such a result." "Of course, helicopters have been used by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation since the very beginning of active hostilities, since February 2022. However, their strike potential begins to unfold for real only now, in the conditions of the Ukrainian "counteroffensive," the report says.
The Mi-28n and Ka-52 attack helicopters are capable of operating at night, as are the German Leopard tanks and other equipment transferred to the AFU.
"For more than a year, a helicopter group of so-called night hunters has been working at the front, that is, a unit specially created specifically and primarily for performing night combat missions. When the enemy himself goes on the offensive, and even in columns, when the most likely directions of his attack are known, then attack helicopters are able to show themselves in all their glory," analysts say.
The crew of an attack helicopter with eight guided missiles on board with a range of up to 10 km "is able to receive target designation from other sources, and work in free hunting mode, and evaluate the result of the strike in order to repeat it if necessary." "If the leader has run out of guided missiles, the slave can finish the work for him. This autonomy removes from a bulky military machine a whole series of links that are absolutely necessary in normal practice – for example, when working with artillery. This means that it increases the speed and effectiveness of combat missions," the authors add.
Andrey Rezchikov
