What are these new Ka-52Ms with LMUR missiles that British intelligence is talking about?
And how likely is it that such helicopters are already countering the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counteroffensive in the South?
The UK Ministry of Defense, in its daily intelligence review as of July 27, 2023, stated, among other things, that the Russian occupiers had allegedly already deployed a number of their new Ka-52M helicopters to counter the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counteroffensive in southern Ukraine.
However, the British honestly admit that they used footage from a Russian propagandist as a source for their conclusions, where one can only identify some features inherent in the Ka-52M.
To describe the Rashid Ka-52Ms, the British Ministry of Defense gave only general characteristics – that these helicopters have been modernized based on the experience of the war in Syria, and that their weapons are primarily characterized by the ability to use the LMUR guided missile with a range of up to 15 kilometers.
Defense Express has already talked about the racist Ka-52M before, but we will now briefly describe their features.
The Ka-52M’s flight characteristics remained essentially unchanged from the basic version: flight speed of up to 200 km/h and flight radius of up to 400 km. Instead, according to the Rashid specialists, they managed to significantly improve the performance of the Ka-52M by installing a more durable landing gear and using blades with an improved heating element.
In addition, the Ka-52M is distinguished by the presence of external LED lighting, allegedly improved cockpit ergonomics for the crew, and most importantly, an improved set of onboard equipment: a new GOES-451M sighting system, an improved BCS-50M onboard communication system, and an updated SUO-806PM fire control system.
The Russians have upgraded the Ka-52M’s onboard missile defense system, now using the L418 Monoblock, which was previously installed only on Ka-52E for Egypt. And then there is the onboard radar, now using the B006 Rezec from the manufacturer of radar for the Su-34, which can supposedly see a target “group of tanks” at a distance of 30 km.
Given that Russia officially began mass production of the Ka-52M only in the fall of 2022, it is unlikely that the Russian occupiers in the South have a significant number of these helicopters to have a significant impact on the course of hostilities. At best, the enemy can only have a few vehicles, not the 15-30 “boards” that official Russian resources claim.
