Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
A photo showing a Russian Ka-52M attack helicopter in what appears to be its drone interceptor configuration appeared online on July 27.
These helicopter began to play a key role in intercepting Ukrainian fixed-wing suicide drones over the special military operation zone and behind it in recent months.
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 its drone interceptor configuration, the helicopter carries two 500 liters external fuel tanks to increase its combat range, as well as two launchers of the Igla-V system, each armed with two air-to-air missiles.
Igla-V missiles, an air-launcher version of the Igla man-portable air defense system, are guided via infrared homing and have a fire-and-forget capability. The range of the system is reported to be five kilometers. This is the Ka-52M’s main weapon against drones.
Ka-52M helicopters have also been documented taking down drones using the mobile semi-rigid 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon.
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 two kilometers, but can fire at targets up to four kilometers away.
As Ukraine stepped up its drone attacks in recent months, 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.
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very soon russian helicopters will be roaming freely on the battlefield. ukraine has almost run out of anti aircraft missiles. more fronts are beginning to collapse. russian forces have taken stepnohirsk in the direction of zaporizhzhia.
is there any more predictions of what to come your fortune lady tells you? why not tell about reality instead, russia are nazis and lost the looting and stealing project they made their life project.