MOSCOW, March 13 (AVN) - Two KA-50 Hokum helicopters that were combat tested in Chechnya are being serviced in the army aviation combat training centre in the town of Torzhok, Tver region, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry told the Military News Agency on Tuesday.
Specialists that carried out tests say the aircraft are highly reliable and can accomplish missions at altitudes higher than 5,000m. One of the choppers had a failure that was fixed on the spot allowing the crew to continue the mission. Advanced avionics allows KA-50 to easily detect and destroy targets. The helicopters destroyed over 30 targets in Chechnya, to include rebel groups, vehicles, guerrilla bases in hard-to-reach alpine areas.
KA-50 is classified as a system including armament, fire control equipment and navigation means designed to destroy tanks and other armoured targets and to provide close support for ground troops. The helicopter made its maiden flight on June 17, 1982. The 1984-1994 comparative tests proved the aircraft was better than Mil's MI-28 Havoc, so KA-50 entered the inventory of the Russian Armed Forces. The chopper was produced by the Arsenyev aircraft plant located in the Maritime territory.
KA-50 is armed with 12 supersonic missiles fitted with integrated homing warheads able to destroy armoured, ground and airborne targets, a 30mm high-rate-of-fire rotating gun with up to 460 rounds, bombs, and other weapons. The armoured cockpit can protect the pilot from 12.7 mm armour-piercing rounds and 23 mm shell fragments. If the oil system is damaged, the aircraft can continue the mission for 30 minutes.
Hokums came to the North Caucasus to participate in hostilities in late December 2000. KA-50 opened fire for the first time in its history on January 6, 2001 as part of a combat strike group. Military pilots of the army aviation combat training centre were at the controls of the choppers.