MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. A policy decision has been made to supply the Ka-52K shipboard helicopters to Egypt but a contract is yet to be signed, Viktor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation at Russia’s Rostec Corporation, told TASS.
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"We have just returned from Egypt where we discussed this issue, helicopter carriers were initially meant for the Ka-52K helicopters, so they will be used by the ground forces and will also be deployed on the Mistral helicopter carriers," he said. "I think, since a policy decision has been made, signing a contract is only a technical matter," Kladov added.
The Ka-52K is included in a range of shipboard helicopters operational in the Russian Navy alongside the Ka-25, Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-31 helicopters. The Ka-52K is designed for patrol missions, fire support missions during amphibious assaults and anti-amphibious assault defense at the frontline and in tactical depth.
The Ka-52K differs from the baseline version of the helicopter by its shortened folding wing, upgraded to carry heavy weapons, and the mechanism of folding rotor blades allowing it to fit into an under-deck compartment. Its smaller size allows to increase the number of the helicopters onboard a carrier. The armored cockpit and the ejection system allow pilots to safely leave the helicopter. The Ka-52 shipboard version also features a rescue system to assist people in distress at sea.