Russia's Ka-52M combat helicopter to receive AESA radar

Russia’s new Ka-52M combat helicopter will receive new targeting sensors instead of upgraded versions of present systems.

The new V006 Rezets (Cutter) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is being developed by the St Petersburg-based Zaslon company for the modernised helicopter. The test version of the radar installed in a Ka-52K helicopter was shown at the MAKS aerospace show held in Zhukovskiy close to Moscow on 27 August–1 September.

The Rezets radar for the Ka-52 has a fixed 900×300 mm AESA antenna with 640 transceiver modules. It can detect a group of tanks from 45 km, a railway bridge from 100 km, and a destroyer-class warship from 150 km, according to the manufacturer. In the air-to-air mode, it can detect a fighter aircraft with a radar cross section of 3 sq m from up to 50 km head-on and a hovering helicopter from 20 km. The Rezets radar weighs 130 kg, 10 kg less than the current Ka-52’s FH01 produced by Phazotron-NIIR of Moscow, and is air-cooled, with an air scoop for cooling seen on the helicopter’s nose fairing.

The OES-52 developed by Moscow-based NPK SPP will be the Ka-52M’s new electro-optical sight; present helicopters have a GOES-451 turret from UOMZ of Yekaterinburg. According to Russian media, the OES-52 is modeled on the Safran Strix targeting sensor for the Tiger attack helicopter. The OES-52 performs similar functions to the GOES-451 and houses five sensors: a thermal imaging camera, TV camera, laser rangefinder/designator, laser beam riding for anti-tank guided missiles, as well as a laser spot tracker. However, it weighs 177 kg, compared with the GOES-451’s 220 kg.