With its extraordinary design and its superior features, the Ka-52 Alligator is one of the
most remarkable weapon systems of today. Although it has not yet reached large markets, this
helicopter, whose NATO reporting name is Hokum B, is of the interest of many countries. The
Ka-52, which has an exciting adventure starting from the Ka-50, should be watched more closely
these days of the Second Cold War rising. As the Weapon Detective, we are investigating
the Ka-52, one of the most notable combat helicopter today.
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Rest in peace, true 007 Indeed, the Ka-52 is one of the most notable
attack helicopters of today. However, it is not an anti-tank and gunship
helicopter, different from the AH-64 Apache. The Russian Armed Forces use Mi-24s and Mi-28s
for these missions. The Ka-52 is a dedicatedly designed helicopter
to conduct battlefield reconnaissance, provide target designation, support and coordinate
group attack helicopter operations. In combat operations, it leads groups of combat helicopters
and assigns the target. In the late 1970s, the USSR decided that the
Mi-24s would not meet combat requirements of armoured warfare of a possible Third World
War. Thus, Moscow ordered Mil and Kamov companies
to design a new generation attack helicopter. While Mil opted for a more conventional design,
Kamov decided to work on an innovative helicopter. The prototype of this company, called the
V-80, had a coaxial rotor design. But more interestingly, Kamov claimed that modern avionics
could execute the duties of flying, navigation, target detection, and tracking. So, a single
crew would be enough for the new helicopter. The Soviet Army subjected the V-80, which
made its first flight in 1982, to extensive operational trials in 1985. The result was
satisfactory. Thus, in 1987, the USSR ordered a new helicopter,
now called the Ka-50. By the way, while comparative tests of the
Ka-50 and the Mi-28 continued, Kamov proposed to Soviet Army a dedicated version of its
helicopter for missions of battlefield reconnaissance, target designation, supporting and coordinating
group attack helicopter operations. But as the First Cold War was coming to an
end, the Soviet economy was collapsing. Moscow ran out of money to spend on the development
of this new model. So, Kamov modified a Ka-50 and installed the
reconnaissance and target designation system on it. This helicopter, called Chornaya Akula,
meaning Black Shark, showed that a second crew member is a necessity to operate the
reconnaissance equipment. Thus, the company worked on developing the
two-seat version of the Ka-50. Due to providing better co-operation between the crew members,
Kamov prefered a side-by-side seating arrangement, different from the common tandem configuration.
This version has named as Ka-52. The helicopter made its first flight on June
25, 1997. After the completion of the state trials, the Ka-52 entered service in 2011
and became operational in the same year. Although it has a crew of two, not one, the
Ka-52 still keeps many of the unique features of its predecessor, the Ka-50.
The most striking of these is the coaxial rotor system.
Of course, the Ka-50 and Ka-52 are not the first helicopters to use this configuration.
However, they are the first attack helicopters with a coaxial rotor.
Maybe some of our viewers can include the Ka-29, which entered service in 1987, in this
category. Yet it is not a real attack helicopter, but an armed helicopter capable of firing
guided anti-tank missiles. The counter-rotating coaxial rotors design
makes the lift symmetrical so it offers more stable flight characteristics and manoeuvrability.
Also, compared to conventional helicopter design, it provides a more stable flight in
a crosswind and has 50 per cent better performance in high-hot hover performance.
Since this design does not require a tail rotor, it is minimally affected by damage
to the tail area. Most parts of the Ka-52 are made of aluminium.
The rate of using composite material in the fuselage is 36 per cent.
The six self-sealing internal kerosene fuel tanks are made of rubber and fibre material.
They are explosion-proof. Also, there is the automatic fire extinguishing systems inside
fuel tanks. The cockpit is armoured against up to 20mm
calibre anti-aircraft rounds. Like the Ka-50, the Ka-52 has the K-37-800
ejection seat. In an emergency, first, the rotor blades are jettisoned by using explosives,
then the canopy is released, and the seats are ejected.
Current users of the Ka-52 are Egypt and Russia. This two-seater helicopter has a fuselage
length of 14.2 meters and a total length of 16 meters. Its rotor diameter is 14.5 meters
while its height is about 5 meters. With an empty weight of 7,700 kilograms, the maximum
take-off weight is 10,800 kilograms. Two 1,642 kiloWatt Klimov TV3-117VK turboshaft engines
provide a maximum speed of 310 kilometres per hour. The cruising speed of the helicopter
is 260 kilometres per hour. The Ka-52, which has a range of 460 kilometres, can reach a
range of 1,110 kilometres with external fuel tanks. Its service ceiling is 5,500 meters
while its hover ceiling is 4,000 meters. Equipped with a 30mm 2A42 cannon, the helicopter's
armament includes 9M120 Ataka and 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank guided missiles as well as Igla-V
air-to-air missiles. The Ka-52 can also be equipped with bombs, cannon pods, and rocket
pods. The ship-borne derivative of the helicopter
is the Ka-52K Katran. Originally, Kamov developed this variant for
use on two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, ordered by the Russian Navy, in 2011.
But, after the Russian annexation of Crimea, France cancelled the sale, in 2014 and Egypt
acquired these vessels. Upon this development, in 2020, Russia ordered
two Project 23900-class landing helicopter dock.
So, the Russian Navy will deploy the Ka-52Ks on these new ships. Unlike the basic model,
it has folding rotor blades, folding wings, and life-support systems for the crew members.
The fuselage and systems receive special anti-corrosion treatment. The fire-control radar of the Ka-52K
is suitable for using anti-ship missiles. Having purchased two Mistral-class ships,
which France cancelled the sale to Russia, Egypt acquired 46 Ka-52s for use on these
ships. Like Ka-52K, the Egyptian helicopters utilizes anti-corrosion materials. Also, this
model has the new landing gear and wheels to increase take-off weight and a reinforced
fuselage structure. There is a new cooling system, suitable for the hot climate on the
Egyptian Ka-52s. The Russian Mil and Kamov companies are working
on the modernized version of the Ka-52. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia declared
that the first flight of the new model called Ka-52M took place, in August 2020. Tests are
expected to continue until 2022. To increase the range of detection and recognition of
targets the Ka-52M will have an upgraded optical-electronic system and a new radar with an active phased
antenna array. It will own more powerful anti-icing heating elements for the propeller blades
and a reinforced fuselage. In the cockpit with increased ergonomics will be used lighting
equipment based on LEDs. Thanks to this improvement, the crew will able to perform their duties
by using night vision systems. The Ka-52M will be equipped with a digital drive to increase
the accuracy of the 30mm gun. Besides, the helicopter is planned to be capable
of firing new Product 305 and Hermes-A missiles. In standard combat mission, the Ka-52 leads
groups of attack helicopters and assigns the target. For this mission, the helicopter has
the GOES-451 gyro-stabilized optical-electronic system and the Arbalet-52 Dual-band coherent
pulse radar. The GOES-451 is an integrated system consists
of a TV camera, a thermal imager, a laser rangefinder, a sensor for an anti-tank guided
missile guidance system, and a laser direction finder, as well as a laser warning system.
The Arbalet-52 has the ground mapping range of 32,000 metres as well as the detection
range of 25,000 metres for ground targets and 15,000 metres for aerial targets.
The Ka-52 can transmit the target's video, image, and radar data collected by these sensors
in real-time via data link system to attack helicopter group.
The Egyptian variant has the new OES-52 electro-optical observation and laser targeting system which
provides a greater range of target detection and recognition than the GOES-451.
Let's take a look at the Ka-52's weapon systems. The 30mm 2A42 gun of the Ka-52 has selective
fire and a dual-feed. It can fire between 200 and 800 rounds per minute.
The 2A42 is semi-rigidly fixed on the helicopter's side, movable only slightly in elevation and
azimuth. This design improves accuracy.
Its effective range is about 1,500 metres against armoured vehicles, and 4,000 metres
against infantries. The 2A42 can engage air targets flying the altitudes of up to 2,000
metres at subsonic speeds. The laser-guided 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missile
has the maximum effective range between 10,000 metres and 12,000 metres, depending on its
version. The missile, NATO's reporting name AT-16 Scallion, could penetrate the 1,000-millimeter
steel, behind explosive reactive armour. Its maximum speed is Mach 1.8.
The NATO reporting name of the 9M120 Ataka is AT-9 Spiral-2. This radio command guided
missile has the maximum effective range of 6,000 to 8,000 metres, depends on its variants.
It can fly with a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. The 9M120 can penetrate 950 millimetres steel,
behind explosive reactive armour. The missile also has the variant with a thermobaric
warhead. For the air combat, the Ka-52 uses Igla-V
air to air missiles whose maximum effective range is 5,200 metres.
The Ka-52 also carries many different types of conventional rocket pods.
The Ka-50 had fought in the war in Chechnya in 2000.
But, the Ka-52 gained its first combat experience in Syria in 2015.
Some sources claim that, since 2015, the helicopter has involved in defence of the Russian base
in Latakia, providing escort for search and rescue helicopters, and supporting Russian
special forces. Nevertheless, the Ka-52s were spotted near
the town of Al-Qaryatayn, recaptured in April 2016 from ISIS, for the first time.
In 2017, Russia used these helicopters in the Palmyra offensive.
Also, the Ka-52s provided reconnaissance and air support for a Syrian airborne operation
conducting in the same year. On May 7, 2018, due to a technical failure,
Russia lost one Ka-52 in Syria. On November 25, 2018, in the Kerch Strait,
Russia attacked the Ukrainian Navy's URP Berdyansk and URP Nikopol small armoured gunboats and
URP Yani Kapu tugboat. One of these ships, URP Nikopol, was pursued
and stopped by a Russian Ka-52 helicopter when she tried to escape to international
waters. The weapon capacity of the Ka-52 is equivalent
to that of the heaviest attack helicopters. It also has a unique position among reconnaissance
helicopters with its high manoeuvrability and survivability. For this reason, the Ka-52
provides a significant advantage to its users, Russia and Egypt. After the ongoing modernization
programme, the M model is expected to be ready in 2022. Thanks to its advanced sensors and
radar, as well as the Hermes-A missile, it seems Ka-52M will take this advantage one
step further. Thanks for watching our video. And please
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