Ka-52 Alligator

Russia's coaxial-contra-rotating attack and armed-reconnaissance helicopter, NATO reporting name Hokum-B, fielded at scale in Ukraine and exported to Egypt.

Overview

The Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator” is a twin-engine, twin-seat attack helicopter built around a distinctive coaxial contra-rotating main rotor system that eliminates the need for a tail rotor. It evolved from the single-seat Ka-50 “Black Shark” and has been in serial production since 2011. The Ka-52 serves as an anti-armor platform, armed escort, and forward airborne command post for Russian Aerospace Forces, and it is the only modern attack helicopter to combine side-by-side crew seating with a coaxial layout.

Development

Kamov developed the Ka-52 as a two-seat derivative of the Ka-50 to improve crew workload, communication, and battlefield coordination. The design retained the coaxial rotors of the Ka-50 but added a wider nose and side-by-side cockpit, and the first prototype flew in the late 1990s. Serial production began in 2011, and the baseline Ka-52 entered Russian service shortly afterward. A modernized Ka-52M variant with new sensors, an upgraded defensive suite, and an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar started reaching units around 2022. A navalised Ka-52K “Katran” with folding rotors and corrosion protection was developed for the Russian Navy’s cancelled Mistral-class ships but was ordered in limited numbers for other vessels. The only foreign customer is Egypt, as reported by GlobalMilitary.net.

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