Military Knowledge: Ka-52 Alligator
Ka-52 Alligator, NATO reporting name “Hokum B”, is an all-weather attack helicopter operated by the Russian Air Force. Developed by Kamov Design Bureau (part of Russian Helicopters), Ka-52 is a twin-seat variant of the Ka-50 attack helicopter.
The Ka-52 helicopter can destroy enemy armoured and unarmoured ground targets, low-speed aerial targets and personnel at the frontline and in tactical depth.
It is also deployed as a surveillance platform and aerial command post for a group of attack helicopters. The first Ka-52 helicopter was rolled out in December 1996.
The helicopter completed its first flight in June 1997. The serial production of Ka-52 began in 2008 at Progress Arsenyev Aviation plant in the Primorye region of Russia. Russia plans to equip its proposed Mistral Class amphibious assault ships with Ka-52K helicopters. Ka-52K is a naval variant of the Ka-52 Alligator.
Specifications:
Crew: 2
Length: 16 meters
Height: 4.93 meters
Empty weight: 7,700 kg
Max takeoff weight: 10,800 kg
Engine: 2 × Klimov VK-2500 turboshaft engines, 1,800 kW (2,400 shp) each
Main rotor diameter: 2× 14.5 m
Main rotor area: 330.3 m2
Max altitude: 5,500m
Max cruise speed: 300km/h
Climb rate: 12m/s.
Flight range: 460km
Ferry flight range: 1,110km
Guns: 1× mobile semi-rigid 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon
Hardpoints: 6 under-wing hardpoints, plus 2 on wingtips for countermeasures or air-to-air missiles with a capacity of 2,000 kg
Rockets: 80 × 80 mm S-8 rockets and 20 × 122 mm S-13 rocket
Missiles: 2 × APU-6 Missile racks, able to accommodate a total of 12 × 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missiles, Vympel R-73 air-to-air missiles, Kh-25 semi-active laser guided tactical air-to-ground missiles
Bombs: 4 × 250 kg bombs or 2 × 500 kg bombs
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