Russian Ka‑52 helicopter losses rise amidst friendly fire missteps
According to Russian sources, the Russian Aerospace Forces have lost another, their 58th, Ka-52 helicopter. Although the official reasons for the helicopter's loss have not yet been announced, preliminary investigation results indicate friendly fire – once again, the Russians shot down their own aircraft.
The downing of the Ka-52 Alligator helicopter is reported by Russian-speaking sources on the Telegram service. The valuable helicopter was reportedly lost on 18th December, but information about it only emerged after a few days.
According to unofficial, preliminary results of the investigation conducted on this matter, the helicopter was mistakenly attacked by the Russians themselves, and the two-person crew perished in the downed helicopter. This is at least the 58th Ka-52 helicopter lost by Russia during the war in Ukraine. At least a few helicopters were shot down by their own forces.
This means that the Ka-52s constitute almost half of all helicopters lost by the Russians during this war. Production, estimated to be about 10-20 helicopters per year, does not compensate for the losses incurred, and the cost of one helicopter - according to contract documentation - is at least £20 million.
Problems with the Ka-52 helicopters
The unfavourable statistics for the Ka-52 may be surprising, given the emphasis – in pre-war times – on the alleged modernity and resilience of this design, theoretically equipped with advanced self-defence systems.
The Ka-52 is also characterised by a unique rotor configuration – it does not have a tail rotor but instead has two main, coaxial rotors mounted one above the other.
The Russians have repeatedly emphasised the innovative crew evacuation system implemented in this helicopter. Both crew members sit in ejection seats – to make ejection possible, moments before launching the crew, pyrotechnic charges eject the rotor blades, thereby creating space for the evacuating crew.
This helicopter-specific solution does not enjoy the confidence of Russian pilots – available materials suggest that they do not use the ejection seats even in the event of serious helicopter damage.
