Kamov Ka-50-2 Tandem-Seat Modification of Ka-50 Combat Helicopter

The Ka-50-2 combat helicopter is designed to engage armoured and other surface and air targets; provide close air support to ground troops on the battlefield; escort tactical airborne troops; conduct air-to-air and air reconnaissance missions, provide real-time information support to ground troops and target designation to airborne and ground weapons systems. The Ka-50-2 is a tandem two-seat derivative of the Ka-50 combat helicopter featuring 85 per cent commonality with the baseline model in terms of design, power plant, systems, and equipment.

The avionics suite comprises an integrated flight navigation system, a helmet-mounted target designation system, a sighting system with a laser-beam-riding channel, the Arbalet radar, an onboard digital computer, and a multiplex data bus. The multifunction avionics suite provides digital terrain map-based navigation; very low-altitude terrain-following/obstacle avoidance flight; acquisition and designation of ground, surface and air targets, and their engagement in any combat environment.

The avionics suite manages employment of all types of onboard weapons; presentation of target, flight, and navigation data on multifunction displays and the helmet-mounted target designation/display system; and provides target designation to other combat helicopters and ground-based gun/missile systems. The electro-optical system detects and pinpoints targets at a range of up to 8 kilometres by day and up to 7 kilometres at night and provides target designation to the onboard weapons systems.

The radar can detect ground targets at a range of up to 12 km in the air-tosurface mode and air targets at a range of up to 25 km in the air-to-air mode. The radar can simultaneously track up to 20 targets.

Armament
The Ka-50-2 armament comprises 12 Vikhr ATGMs, four Igla-V missiles, up to 80 S-8 rockets in B8V20-A pods. The helicopter carries one built-in 2A42 restricted-swivel cannon with 460 rounds of ammunition.