A few years ago, a set with a loud name appeared on the shelves with prefabricated models of military equipment. The boxes with the inscription "Ka-58" Black Ghost "" were supplied with parts of a certain helicopter with a fantastic appearance and mysterious characteristics. Soon after the release of these models, rumors began to disperse about the details of the mysterious Ka-58 project. A variety of assumptions were made regarding technical and flight data, the composition of equipment and weapons, etc. But even a few years after the start of sales, not a single official message about the existence of the "Black Ghost" appeared, but it became known that the Ka-58 helicopter was invented by the designers of one company that produces prefabricated models. As a result, the mysterious project has finally passed into the category of curiosities.
Nevertheless, after the story with the hypothetical Ka-58, there was an unpleasant aftertaste in the form of questions about promising combat helicopters. It is quite obvious that new types of attack helicopters should appear in the coming years, and the Ka-58 - if it existed - could well claim this "title". But for obvious reasons, completely different machines will replace the current Mi-28N and Ka-52 in the future. Back in the middle of the 2000s, the press began to discuss the topic of a fifth-generation helicopter, designed to replace the current technology in the future. It should be noted that the term "fifth generation" in relation to helicopters is somewhat dubious. Unlike fighter planes, which have long been divided into generations, this classification does not apply to helicopters. At the same time, if you wish, you can find certain patterns and divide the rotorcraft into generations, but such a classification would be strange and not entirely fair.
The first rumors about work on a promising attack helicopter date back to the mid-2000s, but then, obviously, the matter did not go further than talk. A little more detailed information appeared in 2008, when the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force A. Zelin spoke about the beginning of the development of a new helicopter, which will have better characteristics in comparison with the existing ones. It is noteworthy that in 2008 the officials limited themselves to only the most general phrases and formulations. New data on the progress of the project came more than a year and a half after the statements of the commander of the military aviation. In mid-2010, the general designer of the Mil company said that research and development work on the new project would begin in about a year.
In addition, in 2010 it became known about the participation in the program of both leading Russian helicopter enterprises - design bureaus Kamov and Mil. According to reports, in the first half of that year, several helicopter models were purged at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, which differed from each other in fuselage contours, wing configuration and main rotor design. The prospects and possibilities of both the classical screw and the coaxial one were evaluated. The results of those studies were not mentioned in open sources, but it was announced that the final choice of the layout and general appearance will be made in early 2011, and until that time, both design organizations will work together.
The most recent reports of a promising attack helicopter date back to the fall of 2011. Then the general director of Russian Helicopters A. Shibitov spoke about the ongoing work on the program and the existence of two projects at once from both companies participating in it. At the same time, in the fall of 2011, work continued to shape the appearance of a promising rotorcraft. These delays look odd, but they can be explained by the difficulty of prioritizing and defining the necessary features of the appearance. Nevertheless, as of the end of 2011, the situation with the new attack helicopter looked ambiguous and there was every reason to assume that the new helicopter, at best, would take off only in the second half of this decade.
During the coverage and discussion of official statements and the course of the project, various information and rumors about the characteristics and capabilities of the new helicopter appeared from time to time. However, only a few of them were confirmed by official sources. For example, according to the official representatives of Russian Helicopters and the Mil company, it is known that the new helicopter should receive the latest avionics with better characteristics than the existing ones, including the ability to automatically return to its airfield in case of injury. or the death of the pilot. Also, the new helicopter should be able to attack targets from cover, have high flight data, the minimum achievable signature in the radar and infrared ranges, etc. In addition, the ability of the helicopter to fight enemy aircraft was declared.
Based on the available data, it is difficult to talk about the timing of the completion of the project or the exact characteristics of the new helicopter. Probably, the new rotorcraft will be a fairly reworked existing technology. There are objective reasons for this. For example, the impossibility of creating a helicopter inconspicuous for radar stations is due to its main feature - the main rotor. Constantly rotating blades, which, moreover, cannot be excluded from the design in principle, ruin all efforts to reduce visibility. For this reason, a decrease in the probability of detection can only be achieved in the infrared range, using special devices that cool the exhaust of turboshaft engines.
As for the armament of a promising attack helicopter, it is also unlikely to undergo major changes. Like previous vehicles, the new one will have to carry a mobile installation with an automatic cannon and a certain range of guided and unguided weapons. Perhaps the armament of the promising helicopter will include a new anti-tank missile system "Hermes-A" or existing systems of a similar purpose. Of course, the possibility of using unguided ammunition will remain. To ensure the full operation of the sighting and navigation complex, a promising helicopter must be equipped with its own radar and optical location stations. Of course, at present there is no information about the exact composition of the equipment of the new helicopter.
Overall, the "fifth generation" helicopter development program is currently one of the greatest mysteries of today. Official information is limited to only a few statements by representatives of defense organizations, and in addition, the most recent information about the project appeared more than a year ago. Perhaps, in the near future, the defense industry and the military department will slightly open the veil of secrecy over the new attack helicopter and delight the public with the first technical details. Unless, of course, the project is closed for some serious reason, as has often happened in recent decades.
