The Russian military’s Ka-52 attack helicopters are now playing a key role in intercepting Ukrainian fixed-wing suicide drones over the special military operation zone and behind it.
Five videos posted to social networks between July 8 and 10 show Ka-52 helicopters shooting down multiple drones using their mobile semi-rigid 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannons and Igla-V air-to-air missiles.
The 2a42 lowest rate of fire is 200–300 rounds per minute and can get as high as 550–800 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 960 meters per second. The cannon’s effective firing range is 2,000 meters, but can fire at targets up to 4,000 meters away.
Meanwhile, Igla-V missiles are guided via infrared homing and have a fire-and-forget capability. The range of the system is reported to be five kilometers.
Helicopters can fly at low altitudes and speeds which make them very suitable for intercepting slow and small aerial targets like drones.
The Ka-52 in particular is very suitable for this role as it is equipped with Arbalet-52 dual-band coherent pulse radar and the GOES-451 electro-optical targeting system which are reportedly capable of detecting aerial targets from a range up to 15 kilometers.
As Ukraine stepped up its drone attacks in recent months, the Russian military began to rely more on its large fleet of Ka-52 helicopters to counter this threat.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
ka-52/52m, a nice piece of equipment.
r.ussia shoots drones…afu shoots r.ussians…heheheheh