Russian Ka‑52 Alligator crash ignites border conflict speculation
5:28 PM EDT, August 7, 2024
The Russians have lost another Ka-52 Alligator helicopter. The machine crashed near the Ukrainian-Russian border, but the circumstances of the incident are still unclear. The Ka-52 Alligator is Russia's newest attack helicopter, valued at approximately $16 million.
Anton Gerashchenko shared information about the Russian helicopter crash on his X profile, noting that Russian bloggers also confirmed it. The Ka-52 Alligator went down on the border between Russia's Kursk region and Ukraine's Sumy region. According to unconfirmed reports, one pilot died, and the other was injured.
The Russians lost another Ka-52 Alligator helicopter
It is possible that the Ka-52 Alligator was shot down by Ukrainians, as there were reports of clashes on the Ukrainian-Russian border. During these confrontations, the Russians reportedly lost two vehicles and two T-62 tanks.
The T-62 is an outdated machine that does not offer much combat value and is not worth much financially. However, the Ka-52 Alligator is a different story. Each of these helicopters costs about $16 million.
The Ka-52 Alligator is a two-seat attack helicopter. Although its design dates back to the 1980s, full-scale production only began in 2008.
The machine weighs approximately 17,600 pounds and can be heavily armed. It features a 2A42 automatic cannon with a caliber of 30 mm and is also equipped to handle 9K38 Igla anti-aircraft missiles, laser-guided 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missiles with a range of up to 6 miles, and S-8 unguided rockets. The latest Ka-52M variant can also use 9M123 Khrizantema missiles and the "Project 305," with a range of up to 12 miles.
The Ka-52 Alligator is powered by two Klimov engines, each with over 2400 horsepower, allowing the pilots to reach speeds of up to 186 mph.
The war in Ukraine has resulted in significant losses of these helicopters for the Russians. However, most of these helicopters were shot down by Ukrainians in the early phase of the war. Over time, the Russians changed their tactics and started using modernized variants, which brought them measurable benefits.
