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The Russian Navy has received its first series-produced Ka-52KM helicopter from Russian Helicopters, it has been announced.
The helicopter has been built under the national defence procurement order for 32 Ka-52KM naval strike helicopters that are to be manufactured by the Progress aviation company in Arsenyev. The first helicopter was handed over on 24 September.
A Russian defence industry source involved in implementing the Mistral-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) programme for the Russian Navy told IHS Jane's that three Ka-52KMs will be built before the end of this year. A further 13 helicopters are due to be built during 2015-2016 for placement on the first two LHD's Vladivostok and Sevastopol : eight Ka-52KMs on each.
The remaining sixteen Ka-52KM helicopters are intended for the third and fourth Mistral-class vessels if the decision is taken to build them. However, if no order is issued for building these two ships, the helicopters will still be built for the Navy.
According to Sergey Mikheyev, Kamov's general designer, the Ka-52KM has been designed for use from any sea platform, not only the Mistral-class LHDs. For instance, tests have been carried out for compatibility of the Ka-52K with Udaloy-class (Project 1155) destroyers, with a fully equipped Ka-52 having landed on the Vice-Admiral Kulakov .
Like the weapons carried by the Russian Air Force's Ka-52 Alligator, the Ka-52KM can be armed with two Kh-35 anti-ship missiles, with a range of 300 km, or two Kh-38 air-to-surface missiles, with a range of 40 km.
