Ka-52 Kamov

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“It flies nicely and looks menacing,”

says Russian Flight Research Institute

pilot Mikhail Pavlenko. That’s the

short summary of the coaxial rotor,

two-seat Kamov Ka-52 Alligator.

This specialised, armoured reconnaissance-

attack helicopter was to have been produced

in small numbers for the Russian Air Force

(RuAF) and only used for special purposes

such as support of special operations forces

in mountainous regions, counter-terrorism

and counter-insurgency operations. The

development and testing phase, however,

proved so smooth it was eventually decided to

start mass production.

The Russian Air Force’s (RuAF’s) army

aviation branch has already taken on 65 Ka-

52s and production is set to run at least until

2020 for domestic and export orders. Around

190 – the Russian defence ministry has not

revealed the exact figure – were ordered for

the army aviation branch and the RussianNavy’s air arm is to get 32 of a specialised

shipborne version dubbed the Ka-52K.

Following construction of two prototypes

and three pre-series Alligators, an initial

production batch of 12 Ka-52s was ordered in

2009, with the first four taken on strength by the

RuAF army aviation branch in December 2010.

A deal for a follow-on batch is said to have

included up to 36 helicopters, handed over by

the end of February 2014; and on August 31,

2011 a new and much larger contract, including

143 Ka-52s, will see delivery up to 2020.

DEVELOPMENTFirst design works on a two-seat derivative

of the Kamov Ka-50, designated the Ka-52,

began as early as 1994 under the leadership

of Kamov’s long-serving designer general,

Sergey V Mikheev. The first prototype made

its maiden flight on June 25, 1997 in the hands

of veteran Kamovtest pilot Alexander Smirnov.Wearing serial number 061, it saw extensive

use in testing and evaluation campaigns and

for marketing purposes, the configuration of its

sensor package and avionics suite changing

several times over the years.

In 2003, it completed the first stage of

its state testing programme to confirm its

flying performance. Three years later the

Russian defence ministry allocated a long-

awaited budget for systems development

testing and set up the serial production line

at the Aresenyev Aviation Company (AAC) in

Russia’s Far East.

The second Ka-52 prototype (062) took

to the air in June 2008 and the third (063)

four months later. In 2009, three pre-series

examples were rolled out for the type’s mission

suite and weapons trials. Both 062 and 063

and two pre-series examples are still used by

Kamov for trials and customer demonstration

campaigns at the company’s Flight-Test

Complex in Zhulebino, Moscow.

DESIGN FEATURESWhen the Ka-52 project first started in the mid-

1990s, the primary design goal was to achieve

as much commonality as possible with thesingle seat Ka-50 and only a new, two-seat

nose module was introduced – the rest of

the fuselage, flight controls, rotor system and

powerplant remaining almost untouched. This

simplified production and trials as the

DANGEROUSALLIGATOR

The Kamov Ka-52Alligator is set to forma considerable part of

Russia’s attack helicopter force –not bad for a design intended to be produced

in limited numbers. Alexander Mladenov reports.

79www.aviation-news.co.uk

The Russian Air Force army aviation branch

will receive around 190 Kamov Ka-52 Alligators

after the helicopter exceeded expectations

during early development. Andrey Zinchuk via

Alexander Mladenov

8/10/2019 Ka-52 Kamov


prototypes and development Ka-52s were

manufactured using Ka-50 components.The two contra-rotating three-blade coaxial

rotors contribute to the helicopter’s compact

appearance, stability of flight and high agility.

A coaxial rotorcraft’s control system is also

simpler and more reliable than a conventional

helicopter’s in that it doesn’t need a tail rotor.

In addition, six rotor blades reduce vibration

by tending to mutually suppress each other’s

oscillations.

The Ka-52 features an unusual side-by-

side cockpit. Mikheev claimed this was a

must-have requirement raised by experienced

combat pilots from the Torzhok-based army

aviation combat training centre. Kamov’s test

pilot, Alexander Cherednichenko, explained:

“The side-by-side cockpit facilitates a much

better and faster interaction between the pilots

compared to the tandem cockpit configuration.

So, in all cases I can communicate with my

crewmate without talking at all, using body

language and hand signals only.”

The Ka-52’s cockpit is equipped with

dual controls and the pilot in the left seat has

an ILS-31 head-up display for piloting and

employing the forward-firing weapons. The

weapons system operator (a rated pilot) in

the right-hand seat works with the sensors tosearch, classify and identify targets and, when

needed, can employ anti-tank guided missiles.

The crew members are fully interchangeable

in terms of flying the helicopter and employing

both the sensors and weapons.

The helicopter’s nose is armour-protected

from projectiles up to 23mm calibre and,

according to Mikheev, the overall weight of the

armour used in the Ka-52 structure is less than

that of a similarly protected tandem cockpit

combat helicopter. Side-on crew protection

comprises armour screens on the canopy

side windows. The Ka-52 also features

non-standard design elements to increase

survivability and withstand hits from anti-

aircraft artillery and high-speed fragments from

detonated missile warheads. The internal fuel

tanks are explosion-proof and self-sealing and

the main gearbox is shielded by other, less

important equipment and fuselage structures.

The crew rescue system is centred around

the two crashworthy Zvezda K-37-800 ejection

seats which ensure simultaneous bale-out

through the canopy even on the ground at

zero forward speed. In an emergency landing,

survivability is enhanced by rugged, energy-

absorbing landing gear, enabling the crew to

survive hard landings with vertical speed of up

to 40ft/s (12m/s).

The Ka-52 prototypes and some of the

pre-production models were powered by two

Klimov TV3-117VMA turboshafts, each rated

at 2,200shp (1,640kW) take-off power and

Top: The Ka-52’s coaxial rotor provides stability

in flight, with the six rotor blades mutually

suppressing each other’s oscillations. via

Alexander Mladenov

Above: Kamov Ka-52 063 was displayed at the

Paris Air Show in 2013. Key-Dino Carrara

Right: The Alligator’s side-by-side cockpit

provides each crew member with two colour LCD

screens on the instrument panel in front of them

and two more in the central console for engine

and system information. Alexander Mladenov

80 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft January 2015

KA-52 SPECIFICATIONSDimensions Fuselage length: 44.39ft (13.53m)

Wing span: 23.95ft (7.30m)

Height: 16.24ft (4.95m)

Main rotor diameter : 47.57ft (14.50m)

Weights

Empty weight: 17,196lb (7,800kg)

Normal take-off weight: 22,928lb (10,400kg)

Max combat payload: 5,070lb (2,300kg)

PerformanceMax speed: 192mph (310km/h)

Max cruising speed: 167mph (270km/h)

Max rate of climb at sea level: 49.21ft/s (15m/s)

G-limit: +3.5/-1.3

Service ceiling: 17,388ft (5,300m)

Out of ground effect (OGE)hover ceiling in ISA conditions: 12,795ft (3,900m)

In ground effect (IGE) hoverceiling in ISA conditions: 14,271ft (4,350m)

Combat radius: 124 to 155 miles (200 to 250km)*

Ferry range: 671 miles (1,080km)**

* On internal fuel and 5% reserve

** With four underwing tanks

8/10/2019 Ka-52 Kamov


featuring infrared (IR) emission suppressor

devices on the exhaust ducts. Production-

standard Alligators feature more powerful

Klimov VK-2500s with a take-off rating of

2,400shp (1,789kW) and emergency rating

in one engine inoperative (OEI) conditions of

2,700shp.

AVIONICS SUITEThe Ka-52 features the BREO-52 open

architecture all-digital integrated avionics suite

– with future growth capability – based on dual

Baget-53-17 high-speed processors and using

a GOST (government standards-approved) R

52070-2004 digital databus, equivalent to Mil-

Std 1553. Each crew member has two colour

LCD screens on the instrument panel in front

of them and there are two more in the central

console for engine and system information.

The GOES-451 system under the nose on

the Ka-52’s definitive configuration houses agyro-stabilised TV camera (featuring narrow

and wide fields of view), thermal imager, laser

rangefinder/designator, laser spot tracker and

anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) laser-beam

guidance system – and has a detection range

of tank-sized targets up to 5.4nm (10km) in

daylight and up to 3.2nm (6km) at night. It also

facilitates low-level night flight thanks to an

additional non-stabilised module containing a

TV camera and thermal imager.

The cockpit lighting is night-vision goggles

(NVG)-friendly and pilots are provided with

Geofizika -NV GEO-ONV-1-01K GEN III NVG

sets.

The helicopter has a nose-mounted FH-01

Arbalet-52 X-band/mechanical-scan radar

set (8mm wavelength), developed by the

Phazotron-NIIR company, which is useful

for night and adverse weather operations,

providing obstacle avoidance data (for ultra-

low altitude flight) as well as mapping of theunderlying terrain and target detection. There

is also a moving target indication (MTI) mode

for detecting moving vehicles at speeds

exceeding 6mph (10km/h) and at a maximum

distance of 8.6nm (16km).

Compared to its single-seat Ka-50

predecessor, the Ka-52 has an expanded

weapons suite carried on six hardpoints, with

the two outermost pylons reserved for air-to-air

missiles. Up to four 9M39 Igla-V heat-seeking

air-to-air missiles (maximum range of 3.1nm

[5.8km]) can be carried in two Strelets twin-

round launched units on the outermost pylons.

The anti-tank guided missiles in theAlligator’s arsenal include two main types –

the 9M120-1 Ataka-1 and the 9A4172 Vikhr-1

ATGM, originally developed for the Ka-50

(maximum range of 5.4nm [10km] and 3.2nm

[6km] respectively). Both use laser beam-

riding guidance mode, with targeting provided

by the GOES-451.

The Ka-52’s unguided weapons are 80mm

and 122mm rockets launched from 20-round

and five-round pods respectively. As Kamov’s

chief test pilot, Alexander S Papay noted, the

S-8 80mm rocket in particular has proved a

very precise weapon when fired from the Ka-

50 and Ka-52, thanks to the combination of

stable flight (due to the coaxial rotor systemand low vibration) and a highly precise

targeting system.

The helicopter can also employ 250kg

(552lb) and 500kg (1,100lb) free-fall bombs,

the ZAB-series of napalm tanks, KMGU-2

bomblet/mine dispensers and UPK-23-250

gun pods.

It also comes equipped with the NPPU-

80 limited-movement gun turret containing

a Shipunov 2A42 30mm cannon, which is

installed near the helicopter’s centre of gravity

to reduce impact on the helicopter structure

from its powerful recoil. Another advantage of

the gun is the huge ammunition capability ofits dual-feed system, housing 460 rounds.

It has two modes, trainable and fixed

forward firing, for destroying hardened point

targets and, as Papay noted, the weapon is

accurate up to 1.4 miles (2.3km). This in turn

means that, from a firing distance of 1,000m,

all the projectiles will hit a target measuring 1.5

x 1.5m.

Above left: Kamov Ka-52 95 is prepared for another mission. Andrey Zinchuk via Alexander Mladenov

Above right: Production of the Ka-52 is set to run until at least 2020 for domestic orders with efforts to secure exports well under way. Alexander Mladenov

81www.aviation-news.co.uk

The Kamov Ka-52 boasts a potent arsenal carried on six hard points with the two outermost

pylons reserved for air-to-air missiles. Andrey Zinchuk via Alexander Mladenov

8/10/2019 Ka-52 Kamov


The cannon can fire in rapid rate mode

at 900rpm. The slow rate is between 200

and 300rpm and it can also be used to fire

single shots. Muzzle velocity is around

980m/s (3,215ft/s) and, when combined with

the heavy projectile, this positions the 2A42

among the most powerful helicopter-installed

guns in the world.

Current Ka-52s commissioned with the

RuAF’s army aviation branch boast a fully

integrated Vitebsk-52 self-protection suite,the first of its kind on a Russian-made attack

helicopter. It combines missile approach

and laser warning sensors, a radar warning

receiver and a new-generation IR jammer

system with two downward-pointing heads of

lamp located on the fuselage sides.

IN SERVICEThe definitive Alligator configuration featuring

the full-operational capability mission suite

was approved for service in November

2011. By mid-2014, 65 Ka-52s were reported

to have been taken on strength by the

RuAF army aviation branch, although one

crashed in March 2012. A dozen more were

completed and tested at the AAC Progress

plant, ready for handover to the service in

September, with six more examples duefor delivery before the year’s end, bringing

the total to 71. The unit price of the Ka-52s

manufactured in 2012 and 2013 was just

slightly more than $25m.

The Alligator is scheduled to equip one

attack squadron in most of the RuAF army

aviation branch frontline units, meaning it will be

used by up to 12 squadrons, each with a fleet

of between 16 and 21 helicopters. Currently,

the 575th Air Base (Army Aviation) stationed at

Chernigovka airfield has 20, the 393rd Air Base

at Korenovsk has 16, the newly established

15th Army Aviation Brigade at Ostrov has 21

and the RuAF army aviation branch combat

training centre at Torzhok operates seven.The Kamov Ka-52 has exceeded all

expectations, proving to be a robust and

versatile operator. Alongside the Mil Mi-28N

‘Night Hunter’, it will provide the backbone of

Russia’s attack helicopter force for years to

come.

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82 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft January 2015

Russian Naval Aviation is set to receive 32

Ka-52Ks. S.V. Mikheev via Alexander Mladenov

Documents

Ka-52 Kamov