Ka-52 helicopters are still 'very scary' in Ukraine

The initial Ukrainian attack using the MGM-140 Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) dealt a heavy blow to the Russian attack helicopter fleet. However, the Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” helicopters still appeared and were still considered a threat on the battlefield for the Ukrainian army.

The October 17 attack by Ukrainian ATACMS on two Russian air bases destroyed about 14 helicopters, including several Ka-52s.

After the attack, Western experts and intelligence agencies said that Ukraine's possession of ATACMS missiles could force Russia to move its operational bases and vulnerable military equipment away from the front line, to better protect its helicopter fleet from further Ukrainian attacks.

According to Business Insider, satellite images collected and analyzed by a Ukrainian blogger with the pseudonym "Tatarigami UA" show that Russia still maintains a squadron of dozens of Ka-52s operating close to the front line. In a series of posts on November 17 on social network X (formerly Twitter), Tatarigami UA also listed the bases used by the Russian military for Ka-52 helicopter operations.

Ka-52 Alligator helicopter during testing in Russia's Rostov region in January 2022.

“ Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters continue to pose a significant threat to Ukrainian forces on the front line ,” Tatarigami UA said. The use of air-to-surface and anti-tank missiles by Russian helicopters will help them extend their range of operations beyond the range of Ukraine’s short-range air defense systems, Tatarigami UA said.

Mr. Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute, agreed with the above view and emphasized that “ Ka-52 helicopters are still widely used by Russia and they remain a serious problem for the Ukrainian military .”

According to Rob Lee, “ Russia started operating helicopters from FARPs shortly after the Ukrainian ATACMS attack,” FARPs are refueling and arming points, NATO’s term for locations where aircraft can be refueled near the front lines. “You don’t see them on video , but that doesn’t mean they’re not operating there, ” Rob Lee added.

Russian Ka-52 helicopters have been a headache for Ukrainian forces during the summer counter-offensive in southern Ukraine. In June, the British Ministry of Defence said that Russia had increased its use of attack helicopters in the region and by July 2023, the Ka-52 had emerged as one of the most influential weapons in the war zone.

A Russian Ka-52 Alligator military helicopter fires a missile during the International Army Games at the Dubrovichi shooting range outside Ryazan, Russia, in August 2021.

Following the Ukrainian ATACM attack on October 17, a British intelligence update assessed that “ Due to the ineffectiveness of fixed-wing aircraft close air support, Russian defenses have increasingly relied on helicopter support in the face of Ukrainian attacks .”

Ukraine began using ATACMS after secretly receiving the weapon from the US. Ukraine used the M39 version of ATACMS to attack Russian air bases on October 17, a cluster missile equipped with 950 APAM, M74 sub-bombs and has a range of about 160km.

Experts say the M39 variant is effective against unprotected and dispersed targets such as helicopters parked on runways. Unlike a monolithic warhead, the submunitions released by the missile can disperse and cause significant damage over a wide area. Because of the special danger to civilians, the use of this type of weapon is banned by most countries.

Le Hung (Source: Business Insider)

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