August 8, 2023: One of the most frequently used Russian helicopters used in Ukraine is the Ka-52 and the upgraded Ka-52M. What makes these helicopters so effective is their Lemur laser-guided anti-tank missile. With a range of 15 kilometers, the Lemur can be fired while beyond the range of Ukrainian anti-aircraft weapons. Despite that, about 40 Ka-52s have been lost in Ukraine since early 2022. The Ka-52 often flies low enough to be shot down with American or Ukrainian anti-tank missiles. Russia has produced about 200 Ka-52s, with 48 exported to Egypt and North Macedonia.

Russia has also sent about half a dozen of their new Mi-28NM combat helicopters to Ukraine, where they expect to thrive and survive using new weapons and countermeasures. Not many Russian helicopters have been seen in Russian occupied Ukraine since so many were destroyed during the first months of fighting. At the time of the invasion the Russian air force had about 1,500 helicopters. Most (74 percent) were older transport helicopters though many were recent versions of the Cold War era Mi-8 transports and Mi-24 gunships. This helicopter force seemed formidable but the Russians had a shortage of pilots and maintainers. Most of the available pilots and maintainers were assigned to operate the 400 more recent models that had been introduced since 2006. These were the ones sent to Ukraine where they received their first real combat test against modern anti-aircraft weapons and aircraft. The new Russian helicopters did not do well. The KA-52 gunship (introduced in 2011) was thought to be well equipped to handle modern portable anti-aircraft missiles like the American Stinger. The Americans had updated the Stinger more than the anti-missile defenses of the Ka-52 could handle. Transport helicopters were even more vulnerable. After eight months of combat Russia had lost nearly a hundred helicopters, mainly to ground fire. There were also losses due to accidents and mechanical failures. It was obvious that the most modern Russian designs were not up to the demands of combat against well-equipped opponents. Losses continued to the present. The Ukraine fighting was the first time Russian helicopters had to face a near-peer adversary and losses were much higher than when used against irregular forces in Syria and other areas.

Among the ambitious building plans that were derailed was the 2007 decision to replace the 250 Mi-24 helicopter gunships with 300 of the more recent Mi-28s. The Mi-24 is a twelve-ton aircraft based on the Cold War era Mi-8/17 transport. The U.S. did the same thing with the AH-1, developing it from the UH-1 "Huey." But rather than adopt the two-seater (one pilot behind the other) approach of the AH-1 and AH-64 Apache, the Mi-24 could still carry troops or cargo in the back, and was not as nimble as the AH-1. The 11-ton Mi-28 looks more like the AH-64. That's because, by the end of the 1960s, the Russians realized that the AH-1 design was superior.

For several years, there was intense competition to decide which of its two new helicopter gunship designs (the Ka-50/52 and Mi-28N) to standardize on. The 2007 decision settled the matter. About 50 Mi-28s were purchased by 2014 but plans to have 300 in service by 2019 were canceled because of the sanctions. Meanwhile over a hundred of the cheaper Ka-52s were built.

Russia has used two new helicopter gunships in Syria. The widely known one, the replacement for the 1960s Mi-24, is the Mi-28. Then some of the Ka-52s showed up in doing the same job as the Mi-28. Ka-52 is an all-weather helicopter that is a two-seat version of the Ka-50, which was originally designed as a scout helicopter for the army and a navalized version for warships. Yet the Ka-52 weighs 11 tons, twice what a Western scout helicopter usually weighs. Ka-52 has a top speed of 350 kilometers an hour and can carry up to two tons of weapons or additional fuel. Normal operating range is 260 kilometers, but with additional fuel tanks, it can stay in the air for up to four hours. Weapons carried include 30mm or 23mm automatic cannon, plus bombs, missiles and rockets. Missiles used in Syria included 9M120 (AT-9) which is similar to the U.S. Hellfire and entered service in the mid-1980s. Also used were unguided 80mm rockets. The Ka-52 also comes equipped with electronic countermeasures systems for protection from the Russian shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles some rebel groups have.

The Ka-52 is similar to the U.S. AH64 Apache, which weighs ten tons and can carry about the same number of weapons. However, the AH-64 has a lower max speed (300 kilometers an hour) and has a lot more combat experience. Developed a decade before the Ka-50, there are over a thousand AH-64s in service. To deal with this, the Ka-52 sells for 30 percent less than a comparable model of the AH-64. Once the Ka-52 had some successful combat experience it seemed to be a more attractive alternative to the AH-64.

In 2010 Russia began equipping Ka-52 helicopters with an improved (Arbalet) radar. This gave the Ka-52 an all-weather targeting system. The Ka-52 is an upgrade from the original Ka-50 variant. The Russian army bought over 40 Ka-50 helicopter gunships. Some saw action in Chechnya. The Ka-50 is not considered a replacement for the Mi-24 gunship, but rather as a scout helicopter. The Ka-50 weighs 11 tons, has a top speed of 350 kilometers an hour and can carry up to two tons of weapons or additional fuel. Normal operating range is 260 kilometers, but with additional fuel tanks, it can stay in the air for up to four hours.

The Ka-52 variant initially had two seats, so that a commander could be carried. Normally, the Ka-50/52 operates with one pilot. Weapons carried include 30mm or 23mm automatic cannon, plus bombs, missiles and rockets.

Despite its designation as a scout helicopter, the Ka-50 is similar to the U.S. AH64 Apache, which weighs ten tons and can carry about the same number of weapons. However, the AH-64 has a lower max speed (300 kilometers an hour) and has a two-man crew. Developed a decade before the Ka-50, there are over a thousand AH-64s in service. To deal with this, the Ka-52 sells for a third or more less than a comparable model AH-64. U.S. scout helicopters weigh less than three tons, but the Russians expect their attack helicopters to operate as scouts as well as combat helicopters.