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Export versions of Russian Mi-28NM, Ka-52M attack helicopters to get new missile

It has a guaranteed striking range of up to 14,500 meters

MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. The export modifications of the latest Russian Ka-52M and Mi-28NM attack helicopters will receive a new multi-purpose missile codenamed item-305E, Deputy CEO of the High Precision Weapons Company (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) Sergey Mikhailov told TASS at the EDEX 2021 international defense show on Tuesday.

"The missile can make part of the armament of Ka-52M and Mi-28NM combat helicopters slated for exports. This will help boost their capabilities for striking all types of targets on the battlefield," he said.

The missile has become the first Russian multi-purpose weapon for helicopters, he stressed. "Previously, two missile modifications were created to strike armored and other targets: for example, this principle is employed in the family of Ataka missiles. Now helicopters will be capable of striking any targets on the battlefield with a single munition," he specified.

The Item 305E missile has been developed by the Kolomna-based Design Bureau of Machine-Building outside Moscow (part of the High Precision Weapons Company) and was unveiled at the Army-2021 international arms show. The missile has a guaranteed striking range of up to 14,500 meters.

Ka-52M and Mi-28NM attack helicopters

The Ka-52M is an upgraded version of the Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ gunship. As the gunship’s designers say, the Ka-52M missile armament has been standardized with the weapons suite of the Mi-28NM helicopter, another state-of-the-art Russian attack gunship, which has helped increase the target destruction range considerably. The Ka-52M is also furnished with a new phased array radar station and longer-range missiles. The upgraded gunship prototype performed its debut flight on August 10, 2020.

The Mi-28NE is designated to destroy aerial targets, tanks and armor and can also be employed for reconnaissance and patrols. Its armament includes a flexible 30mm gun, three types of anti-tank missiles with a range of 6 km and 10 km, air-to-air missiles, two types of rockets and air bombs weighing up to 500 kg. The gunship’s rotor blades can withstand strikes by 30mm shells. The attack helicopter operates two increased-capacity 2,400 hp engines, features enhanced survivability and the armored glass cockpit. The combat helicopter is capable of effectively accomplishing assigned tasks in hot climates with its new exhaust heat shield and dust protection technology.