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Russian Navy Naval Aviation to Receive its First Ka-52K Ship-Borne Helicopter by 2018

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Naval Forces News - Russia
 
 
 
Russian Navy Naval Aviation to Receive its First Ka-52K Ship-Borne Helicopter by 2018
 
The Russian Navy expects to receive the first Kamov Ka-52K (Katran) ship-borne helicopters in 2017-2018, a high-placed source in the Navy’s Main Headquarters told russian state news agency TASS on Thursday.
     
The Russian Navy expects to receive the first Kamov Ka-52K (Katran) ship-borne helicopters in 2017-2018, a high-placed source in the Navy’s Main Headquarters told russian state news agency TASS on Thursday.
Russian Navy's new Ka-52K Hokum B Naval Attack Helicopter during its first test flight
     
The helicopters were earlier intended to be based on two Mistral class LHD, which France has refused to deliver to Russia over Moscow's stance on developments in neighboring Ukraine.

"I believe the naval aviation will get these helicopters by 2017-2018. The helicopter component on Russian warships will be quite serious. The number of helicopters has yet to be determined but a final decision has not yet been made. But there is the understanding that they will be received and operated and we’ll see what to do further," the source said.
     
Pictures have emerged on Russian social networks showing the first test flight of the new Ka-52K Naval Attack helicopter. Based on the Ka-52 "Alligator" the K version has been specifically modified for the Russian Navy to operate the helicopters from the Mistral class LHDs.
The navalised version of the Alligator features a folding rotor head and folding stub-wings.
Image: Kamov
     
The Russian Defense Minsitry also plans to purchase Sukhoi Su-30 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C) fighter jets for naval aviation, the source said, without specifying their numbrer. The source added that there "will be a lot of such aircraft."

However, France froze the delivery of two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships to Russia in 2014 over Moscow’s stance on developments in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Francois Hollande agreed on Wednesday on terminating the contract on the delivery of two Mistrals to Russia.

Russian Helicopters rotocraft manufacturer and Russia’s Defense Ministry earlier said Ka-52K helicopters would be based on other ships of the Russian Navy instead of Mistrals. Russian Helicopters has also said the company expects deck-based Alligator helicopters to enjoy demand on international arms markets.