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| The Secret of the Advanced Russian Ka-52 Alligator Helicopter Falls into US Hands During the War in Ukraine |
Moscow - One of Russia's advanced attack helicopters, the Ka-52 Alligator, was most targeted by Ukrainian troops during the conflict that broke out since February 2022. Ukrainian troops reportedly managed to get a Ka-52 attack helicopter unit that was abandoned by its pilot.
Weapons confiscated by the Ukrainian armed forces, also means weapons belonging to the west as well. In this case for example, military experts from the US Army will likely soon gain access to Russia's most fearsome Ka-52 Alligator helicopter. Quoted from the Bulgarian Military website, Thursday (29/12/2022), the Ka-52 attack helicopter with tail number 18 is now in the hands of the Ukrainian army.
There is ample evidence that Russia lost at least 25 Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters from February to November. Also read; 23 Russian Ka-52 Attack Helicopters Stunned by MANPADS, Ukraine Lost 155 Units But a video circulating on social media shows that at least one of the 25 Ka-52 helicopters was not destroyed, but captured. "There is no information on when the video was taken. It could have been months ago and the helicopter is no longer in Ukraine," wrote the Bulgarian Military.
It's even possible that the helicopter is somewhere in temporary military bases in the Czech Republic and Poland, and after being studied by the US military, to be returned to Ukraine. At least from the start of the war, it was clear that Ukraine, with foreign assistance, was repairing captured Russian weapons and using them against Russia.
No one can guess where the helicopter was caught. According to the registration number, the helicopter was stuck due to a technical problem in the Hostomel [Gostomel] Airport area. This was the airfield used in the first months of the Russian invasion to attack positions near Kiev.
According to information mainly on social networks, which could not be confirmed, the crew of the Ka-52 helicopter with tail number 18 left the stalled helicopter. He stayed there for at least 40 days without the Russian armed forces attempting to retrieve him.
Ukraine later regained control of the airport and thus acquired the Russian Ka-52 helicopters. It will be interesting to wait to find out what components, elements and materials were used in the development of the Ka-52.
According to various investigative reports, at least 27 Russian weapons have been thoroughly inspected since the start of the war. The Bulgarian Military website has also published several times photo material from captured Russian weapons showing the presence of semiconductors and Western components. Of course, dissecting the various components in the Ka-52 attack helicopter will certainly be of interest to the US.
While not a purely Russian design, the Ka-52 is a heavily upgraded version of the Soviet Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter. The Ka-52 entered service with the Russian army almost 11 years ago. The helicopter has six hardpoints for weapons on its wings. According to Russian sources, the Ka-52 can store a total of 4,000 pounds of weapons. The helicopter can fly at an altitude of 18,000 feet.
Some Western military analysts argue that the Ka-52 helicopter can destroy tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other types of armored or armored vehicles. This is because the Ka-52 helicopter has an anti-armor skirmish unit capable of firing short-range anti-tank guided missiles.
The Battlefield Becomes a Military Technology Laboratory
Since the start of the Ukraine war on February 24, dozens of Russian weapons have fallen into US hands. Some of them were studied by Western military experts long before the war. Moreover, weapons that have only been designed in the last 20-30 years are difficult for the US to access.
East Ukraine today is not only a battlefield, but also a military technology research laboratory. Thanks to the Ukrainian armed forces, Washington "captured" some interesting new Russian weapons to study, such as the T-90M Proryv tank.
It would be naive to think that in a situation like this only one side would take this opportunity. Russia, too, has announced that it is investigating missiles launched by the HIMARS system from unexploded ordnance. Russia also did the same with the Javelin anti-tank missile system.