The Ka-52 helicopter remains 'very formidable' in Ukraine.

Ukraine's initial offensive using the MGM-140 tactical missile system (ATACMS) dealt a heavy blow to the Russian attack helicopter squadron. However, the Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" helicopter remains present and is still considered a battlefield threat to the Ukrainian army.

The October 17th ATACMS attack by Ukraine on two Russian air bases destroyed approximately 14 helicopters, including several Ka-52 helicopters.

Following the attack, Western experts and intelligence agencies concluded that Ukraine's possession of ATACMS missiles could force Russia to move active bases and vulnerable military assets away from the front lines to better protect its helicopter fleet from further Ukrainian attacks.

According to Business Insider, satellite imagery collected and analyzed by a Ukrainian blogger using the pseudonym "Tatarigami UA" shows that Russia still maintains a squadron of dozens of Ka-52 helicopters operating close to the front lines. In a series of posts on November 17th on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tatarigami UA also listed the bases used by the Russian military for the operation of Ka-52 helicopters.

The Ka-52 Alligator helicopter during testing in the Rostov region of Russia in January 2022.

Tatarigami UA stated, " The Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters continue to pose a significant threat to Ukrainian forces on the front lines ." According to Tatarigami UA, the Russian helicopters' use of air-to-ground and anti-tank missiles will allow them to extend their operational range beyond the range of Ukraine's short-range air defense systems.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, agrees with this view and emphasizes, " The Ka-52 helicopter is still widely used by Russia and remains a serious problem for the Ukrainian military ."

According to Rob Lee, “ Russia began operating helicopters from FARPs right after Ukraine’s ATACMS attack,” FARPs being refueling and armament points, a NATO term for locations where aircraft can be refueled near the front lines. “You don’t see them in the video , but that doesn’t mean they aren’t operating here ,” Rob Lee added.

Russian Ka-52 helicopters have been a major headache for Ukrainian forces during the summer offensive in southern Ukraine. Last June, the British Ministry of Defence stated that Russia had increased its use of attack helicopters in the region, and by July 2023, the Ka-52 had emerged as one of the most influential weapons in the conflict zone.

A Russian Ka-52 Alligator military helicopter fires missiles during the International Military Games at the Dubrovichi firing range outside Ryazan, Russia, in August 2021.

Following Ukraine's ATACM attack on October 17, an updated British intelligence report assessed that " Due to the ineffectiveness of fixed-wing air support, Russian defenses are increasingly reliant on helicopter support whenever facing Ukrainian attacks ."

Ukraine began using ATACMS after secretly receiving the weapon from the United States. Ukraine used the M39 variant of ATACMS to attack Russian air bases on October 17th; this cluster missile is equipped with 950 APAM and M74 submunitions and has a range of approximately 160km.

Experts say the M39 variant is highly effective at engaging unprotected and dispersed targets such as helicopters parked on runways. Unlike a monolithic warhead, the cluster of submunitions launched by the missile can disperse and cause significant damage over a wide area. Due to its particularly dangerous nature to civilians, most countries prohibit the use of this weapon.

Le Hung (Source: Business Insider)

Source: https://vtc.vn/truc-thang-ka-52-van-rat-dang-so-o-ukraine-ar836540.html