The Chinese military delegation and the Russian arms export company signed a contract for naval aviation armaments at the Russian Army 2021 Technology Forum, which closed on the 28th of last month, and the Chinese side will import 36 Ka-52K Katran or Ka-52M heavy armed helicopters from Russia at a price of $20 million each, which will directly equip the Chinese Navy’s amphibious ships, according to Hong Kong Phoenix TV’s resident Russian correspondent Lu Yuguang today.
A Chinese military delegation has since visited the Progress Aviation Manufacturing Enterprise in Arsenyev, Russia. A Russian expert said the Ka-52 helicopter gunships have powerful external capabilities and the engines are among the world’s best, which will greatly strengthen the Chinese Navy’s capabilities in the South China Sea.
This news follows a rare double visit to the Ka-52 helicopter manufacturer by China’s CCTV and Phoenix TV last week, which has been credited with the signing of a large order for Ka-52 helicopters to equip China’s Type 075 aviation amphibious assault ships (LHD). It was reported that Type 075 LHD can accommodate up to 30 helicopter gunships, and allows six of them to take off simultaneously.
The Ka-52K Katran attack helicopter is a shipboard version of the basic Ka-52 helicopter gunship. Unlike the Ka-52, the Ka-52K is equipped with foldable main rotor blades as well as foldable short wings. The helicopter also has reinforced landing gear and can fire anti-ship missiles and a variety of other missiles and unguided air-launched weapons.
The Ka-52M, on the other hand, is the latest upgraded version of the Ka-52. The Ka-52M helicopter is equipped with more powerful heating elements on the main rotor blades that will allow this helicopter to fly in a variety of temperature environments, including the Arctic. Ka-52M is equipped with more load-bearing and wear-resistant wheels, as well as additional equipment to defend against improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The cockpit of the Ka-52M helicopter has also been improved to be more in line with modern ergonomic requirements.