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Official trials of upgraded Ka-52M helicopter to complete in October 2022, says source

The Ka-52M is an upgraded version of the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter

MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Official trials of the upgraded Ka-52M reconnaissance/attack helicopter are planned to be completed in October 2022, a source in the defense-industrial complex told TASS.

"The completion of official joint trials is planned in October 2022," the source said.

The producer of the upgraded helicopter, the Progress Aircraft Plant in Arsenyev (part of Russian Helicopters holding of Rostec state corporation), is ready for serial production of Ka-52M in volumes demanded by the client, he added.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information yet.

The Ka-52M is an upgraded version of the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter. 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 its striking 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 KA-52M design features the best technical solutions: a longer-range gyro-stabilized optoelectronic target acquisition and identification system, a new digital drive to increase the gun’s aiming accuracy, new chassis wheels with disc breaking gear and enhanced wear resistance aircraft tires. The VK-2500 engine is mounted on the upgraded rotorcraft.