File image.
The Russian military continues to deploy its Ka-52M attack helicopters to hunt down Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones with much success.
In video footage posted to social networks on August 12, Ka-52Ms are seen intercepting over 30 such drones. It is unclear where exactly the interceptions took place.
The helicopters took down all the drones using their mobile semi-rigid 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon. The 2A42’s 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 two kilometers, but it can fire at targets up to four kilometers away.
The accuracy of the hits indicates that the helicopters used the 30 mm airburst time-fused ammunition first introduced by state corporation Rostec earlier in the year. The ammunition was specifically designed to take down drones. The fuse is automatically set before firing based on the target’s flight path. No modification to the 2A42 is required.
Helicopters can fly at low altitudes and speeds, which make them very suitable for intercepting slow and small aerial targets like drones.
The Ka-52M in particular is very suitable for this role as it is equipped with Arbalet-52 dual-band coherent pulse radar and the GOES-451M electro-optical targeting system which are reportedly capable of detecting aerial targets from a range up to 15 kilometers.
In addition to the 2A42, the Ka-52 can be armed with Igla-V missiles, which are an air-launched version of the Igla man-portable air defense system. The missiles are guided via infrared homing and have a fire-and-forget capability. The range of the system is reported to be five kilometers.
Very recently, the helicopter’s main anti-tank missile, the 9K121 Vikhr, has been modified by the Kalashnikov Group to intercept drones. The missile, which is guided by laser beam riding and has a range up to 12 kilometers, was equipped with a proximity fuse for that purpose.
As Ukraine stepped up its drone attacks over the past year, the Russian military began to rely more on its large fleet of Ka-52Ms to counter this threat.
The helicopter has so far proven to be highly capable in this role, and recent upgrades have significantly improved its effectiveness against drones.
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