The highest functionality of the Alligator / Katran attack helicopters is assured by a large combat load of the helicopter, exceeding 2000 kg. One vehicle can simultaneously take on several types of missile weapons on a combat mission at 4 (on upgraded and more) suspension points. For example, a promising Katran will be able to simultaneously withstand ground, sea and air threats, having a Vikhr ATGM suspension, a pair of 2, 5-fly Kh-31AD anti-ship missiles and a pair of medium-range air-to-air missiles. The combat load of the American AH-64E "Apache Guardian" is only 771 kg
Almost no one doubts the high efficiency of modern attack helicopters in the 21st century theater of operations. So, in January-March 2000, in the most difficult mountainous terrain of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the baptism of fire of the most famous modern Russian attack helicopter Ka-50 "Black Shark" took place. Unique rotorcraft with a coaxial arrangement of 2 three-bladed propellers began combat operations on January 6, 2000. And already on January 9, the first results appeared - a mixed group of one Ka-50 and one Mi-24 destroyed a large ammunition depot with a dugout and an observation tower of militants. "Black Shark" played the main role in the operation, directly destroying the warehouse of NURS with C-8, "Hind" cleared out the observation posts of extremists. Later, on February 6, 2000, already as part of a full flight, the Ka-52 pilots for the first time tested the anti-tank missile system (ATGM) 9K121 "Whirlwind" in battle, destroying it in a mountain-wooded gorge near the settlement. Center for the fortified area of militants with a training camp with only two ATGM 9A4172 "Whirlwind".
Today, 16 years after the first demonstration of the high combat qualities of the "Black Shark" in the fight against illegal military formations inside the country, the range of attack helicopter aircraft required to perform combat missions has increased several times. The perfection of network-centric linking, the accuracy and range of military air defense systems have increased, which required the installation of new electronic countermeasures and longer-range and high-speed missile weapons on board helicopters. In addition, a potential enemy has new airborne AWACS, which, thanks to improved methods of processing radar information and greater energy of new radars with AFAR, are able to detect air targets against the background of the earth's surface (including attack helicopters) from much greater distances, and then issue target designation on them either to multipurpose interceptor fighters or missiles with ARGSN. This situation required domestic specialists to develop a completely new multifunctional helicopter complex capable of taking on part of the operations previously assigned to multipurpose tactical fighters, including deck modifications.
The carrier-based version of the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter - the Ka-52K Katran, where "K" is a shipborne one, was used as a base. "Katran" belongs to the reconnaissance and attack helicopter class. To do this, it is equipped with a sufficiently powerful dual-band on-board radar system "Crossbow-L", operating in the centimeter and millimeter wavelengths (X / Ka and L / Ka) and having a throughput capacity (target tracing / tracking on the passage) of 20 targets. The millimeter range allows you to detect and capture ultra-small air and ground targets, perform high-resolution terrain mapping, as well as detect objects and obstacles that are almost invisible to other radars (high-voltage power lines, etc.). The accuracy of the millimeter part of the Ka-band is no more than 1-2 m, which allows the Crossbow-L to be used as a high-precision target designation system. The centimeter X-range allows to achieve a significantly greater target detection range (the tank is detected at a distance of 12 km, the middle bridge is 25-32 km, and an air target of the "attack" type - 15 km), but the accuracy is slightly inferior to the Ka-range.
"Crossbow" has an open element base and specialized data buses for target designation to the GOES-451 Katran optoelectronic sighting system, which in a matter of seconds allows you to start using laser or TV target designation for missiles with television and semi-active laser homing heads, as well as missiles with laser-beam semi-automatic homing system. A very important feature of the "Crossbow" is the ability to detect small air targets that pose a threat to the Ka-52K "Katran". So, from a distance of 5 km, SAMs of portable anti-aircraft missile systems "Igla-S" and "Stinger" are detected, thanks to which the crew can timely perform anti-aircraft maneuvers and release infrared traps.
Taking into account the possibility of the ship-based Ka-52K, it was decided to endow the strike-reconnaissance vehicle with anti-ship capabilities. The Kh-35U and Kh-31A long-range anti-ship missiles were unified with the Argument-52 type weapons control system. Due to the significantly greater mass of these missiles (610 kg for the Kh-35U and 715 kg for the Kh-31AD), the folding consoles were significantly shortened, which made it possible to place more than a ton of missile and bomb weapons at each suspension point. The airframe design is fully adapted to the overall increase in the mass of the helicopter, in particular, the struts and landing gear attachments were reinforced for shipborne purposes. A large group of 6-8 Ka-52 Katran is capable of sending 3-4 Oliver Perry-class frigates, 1 Arley Burke-class destroyer to the bottom and knocking out the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier. But there is one caveat: the "Crossbow" has a detection range of a large surface ship of 35 - 45 km, and therefore, with the help of its own target designation means, the Katrans will not be able to withstand the enemy's naval strike groups (the Kh-35U and Kh-31AD anti-ship missiles will not be able to show all long-range capabilities). Target designation will be required from maritime patrol aircraft radars, or from an AWACS helicopter of the Ka-31 type with the Oko complex on board. In this regard, it was decided to radically modernize the Ka-52K radar.
Unlike American, Western European and Chinese attack helicopters, where the radar is usually installed in a nadulok fairing, in the Ka-52K it can be installed in a massive radio-transparent nose cone, as is done on any modern fighter.
Radar "Crossbow" under the Ka-52 radio-transparent nose cone. As you can see, the internal cross-sectional area of the fairing is much larger than the antenna mirror of the Arbalet airborne radar, which means that the advanced radar with AFAR developed by KRET specialists will have large dimensions, energy and accuracy, which will allow the Ka-52 Katran to withstand various threats almost at the level of assault and even fighter aircraft. The only snag will be the car's speed of 310 km / h
According to JSC Concern Radioelectronic Technologies, the Ka-52K Katran shipborne reconnaissance and attack helicopters will be upgraded with a promising compact airborne radar with an active phased antenna array. Like "Crossbow-L", the new station will be 2-band (centimeter and millimeter), but with higher accuracy and power of work. The use of modern electronic element base, as well as digital control of the AFAR beam will make it possible to implement mapping of the terrain with a synthesized aperture at ranges of up to 60-80 (for the standard "Crossbow" - up to 35 km). The centimeter X-range will allow detecting enemy ships at ranges up to 160 km. "Katrans" will be able to freely attack enemy naval strike groups at unattainable or poorly attainable ranges of their air defense systems. French frigates and British Lafayette and Daring class destroyers can be safely attacked, since their PAAMS air defense missile systems do not cover the radius of destruction of the Kh-31AD supersonic anti-ship missiles (helicopter pilots will not need to approach the enemy less than 80-100 km, and at low-altitude flight "Katranov" SAM "Aster-30" at such a distance does not pose a threat).
A more complex situation can be traced in the confrontation with the American naval strike groups. The majority of Aegis ships of the US Navy are now receiving long-range missile interceptors RIM-174 ERAM (SM-6). The range of these missiles is approaching 240 km, and it is like death to approach the Katran with such a KUG only up to 100 km, especially if at least one E-3C aircraft is on duty in the theater airspace, capable of giving Aegis and ERAM target designation for helicopters. Therefore, the Kh-31AD cannot be used in this case, and it remains to count on the Kh-35UE, the range of which reaches 260 km, although here you have to put up with the subsonic speed of the missiles, which will need to be compensated for by a large number of them. And external target designation will again be required, since the instrumental range of the "apharized" "Crossbow" will reach 190-200 km.
But, despite all the moments, the new radar will transform the earlier Katran attack helicopter into a unique rotary-wing platform capable of using the widest range of missile weapons for any type of target within a radius of 150-180 km absolutely autonomously, without the need to involve reconnaissance complexes of sea, ground and air basing. If ordinary "Alligators" as a means of self-defense could use missiles of the "air-to-air" class of close air combat R-73, and to destroy low-speed targets (up to 0.8M) - missiles of the "Whirlwind" complex, then "Katrans" with AFARmi will be able take on board a couple of R-77 (RVV-AE) or RVV-SD, with the help of which they will be able to engage in air combat with absolutely any fighter of the 4 ++ generation, intercept enemy cruise missiles, defending any strategic object. More on this.
The payload of the Ka-52K Katran is approximately 2 tons, due to which each vehicle can take up to 6-8 RVV-SD missiles on modified aircraft ejection devices such as AKU-170E. And no matter how absurd it may sound, "Katrans" with such "equipment" can become excellent "hunters" for cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the structure of positional air defense missile defense of this or that defended object.
Imagine a friendly territory in a theater of operations, where the enemy almost completely destroyed ground-based air defense with anti-radar missiles and massive strikes of strategic missile forces "hit" the runway of air bases, and at one of the strategic enterprises, or in the field headquarters, it is necessary to conduct an urgent evacuation of personnel or personnel with the help of helicopters of military transport aviation. Almost all Sushki and MiGs are in air superiority missions over enemy aircraft. And to allow the Mi-26 to operate without proper escorting is to expose the helicopter crew and the evacuated contingent to mortal danger. Flight (group) Ka-52K, armed with RVV-SD will ensure complete safety and efficiency of such an operation. Helicopters do not need a long runway, and until an emergency the vehicles can be hidden in a small camouflaged hangar. Recall that the Katran, in contrast to the Alligator, has folding blades and wing consoles, which were originally designed for compact placement on Mistral-class helicopter carriers and other types of surface combat ships.
Also, when defending a military base or a naval strike group led by a helicopter carrier, Katrans with powerful AFAR radars and medium-range air combat missiles could easily replace a radar patrol and guidance aircraft and a pair of ground or naval air defense systems combined. First, the RVV-SD missiles launched at the approaching enemy cruise missiles detected by helicopter radars in advance have a range that is 30-70% longer than ground-based Pantsiri, Buk-M1-2 and other systems. A group of 10 helicopters will be able to shoot down up to 50-60 high-precision weapons of the enemy even before the ground air defense systems are activated, which will facilitate the work of the military air defense calculations. The high performance of the updated Katrans in the fight against an air enemy is not even discussed, because the promising radar station being developed at KRET will have at least 4-6 target channels.
The presence of the advanced optical-electronic sighting complex GOES-451, manufactured by JSC "Production Association" Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant "named after E. S. Yalamov ", which is part of the" Shvabe "holding. Unlike the gyro-stabilized OLPK "Samshit-E" installed on the first "Alligators", GOES-451 has a more advanced system for processing the received TV image "Okhotnik", which is 50% more sensitive than the previous one. So, ground armored vehicles are detected in the infrared channel at night at a distance of more than 6 km. The complex performs the whole range of tasks for the detection, tracking and destruction of sea and ground targets both autonomously (in satisfying meteorological conditions) and in synchronization with onboard radars (in fog, snow, rain, or with increased dustiness and smoke content of the battlefield).
The most advanced in helicopter technology highly sensitive electronic reconnaissance and individual protection complex "Vitebsk" deserves special respect. The element base of this electronic warfare complex is built around the digital active station (TsSAP) L-370-P2, the performance of the on-board computer is much higher than that of the most famous "Sorption" installed on the wingtips of Su-27S / SM fighters. "Vitebsk" can carry out imitation and broadband jamming depending on the type of the enemy's irradiating signal, and, accordingly, the type of the emitting radar. The latter is identified using a modern radiation warning system, which is fundamentally different from the SPO-15LM "Beryoza". But it is worth noting that helicopter modifications have only an optoelectronic suppression channel, which allows you to hide only from missiles and air-to-air missiles with Stinger type IKGSN, AIM-9X Block I / II and so on. It is possible that the electronic suppression channel will be put into operation later, as it was done in the basic version of the L-370-3S.
WHAT HAS OUR ZAOKEAN COMPETITOR "APACH LONGBOU / GUARDIAN" ACHIEVED?
According to a publication posted on the resource "Military Parity" on July 26, 2016 with reference to Western sources, the leading European missile corporation MBDA offers the British Armed Forces to conclude a contract for the purchase of a large batch of high-precision tactical medium-range missiles "Brimstone-2" for 50 planned for the purchase of American attack helicopters AH-64E "Apache Guardian". All Apaches should enter service with the British army by 2023. Considering that the missiles have taken root well in the missile arsenal of the Tornado GR4 tactical strike fighters, the conclusion of the contract is beyond doubt.
The integration of the Brimstone-2 into the Apache is as significant as the analogous procedure with the Lockheed Martin / Raytheon joint American JAGM tactical multipurpose missiles, since today only these missiles increase the combat potential of the main American attack rotorcraft at least a little. machine, which in the 21st century no longer meets the threats appearing in the theater of military operations.
The improved Brimstone-2 missile received a new rocket engine with a longer operating time, due to which the range when launched from an attack helicopter was increased from 12 to 40 km. The improved 2-channel seeker provides a high percentage of hits both on ground heavy armored combat vehicles and lightly armored vehicles and vehicles with speeds over 100 km / h. Perhaps this is due to the high-frequency ARGSN of the millimeter range (frequency up to 94 GHz), which does not require a delay in the correction of the laser illumination of the carrier for a highly maneuvering target. In addition, active radar guidance makes the Brimstone-2 rocket invulnerable to smoke-screen grenade launchers and optical-electronic jammers installed on many modern MBTs. The open architecture of the seeker modules allows programming various standards of a semi-active laser seeker, corresponding to the digital channels of ground, air and ship-based laser designators of both NATO countries and other countries (in NATO, this is STANAG-3733). The missile has two main modes of attack for ground targets - a complex maneuvering target and a "dense" group target. In the latter case, the rocket is launched on the "let it go" principle and in the process independently selects targets and selects the most priority one with the help of ARGSN.
Thanks to the ARGSN millimeter channel, the circular probable deviation of the missile does not exceed 1 meter, which, in the presence of a tandem cumulative warhead, can cause only minimal damage to friendly troops that have entered into close confrontation with the enemy. Bottom line: the range of fire of the most modern version of the Apache is 40 km, which is 4 times less than that of our Katran. But how have these 40 km been achieved?
Naturally, not with the AH-64E helicopter armament control system, but with the help of external target designation of more serious means of optical and radio technical reconnaissance and target designation. For this purpose, Boeing specialists equipped the strike vehicle with a tactical information exchange bus via the Link-16 radio channel, as well as a UAV control radio channel. It is the ability to control the UAV with obtaining a telemetric TV / IR picture of the battlefield outside of visual visibility that allows the Apaches to show all the qualities of the Brimstone-2 and JAGM missiles. Otherwise, it would be limited by the characteristics of the AN / APG-78 Ka-band (8-10 km) overhead radar and the TADS optoelectronic sighting IR / TV system, the range of which depends solely on meteorological conditions and the level of smoke in the theater area military action. The only advantage of the AN / APG-78 radar is the high throughput of 256 ground and air targets accompanied on the passage.
In one of the first projects of the "Sea Apache", called "Gray Thunder", the supra-sleeve multifunctional radar (an early version of AN / APG-78) was planned to be transferred to the nose of the fuselage, but it still did not allow Pomor and air targets to operate at a distance of more than 8 - 10 km, so all efforts were focused on the Sea Apache project
The Brimstone-2 missile, in spite of the increased range, is not a unique example of high-precision weapons. Like all known versions of anti-tank missiles of the AGM-114 "Hellfire" family, the "Brimstone-2" has a maximum flight speed of about 1.5-1.6M, which, when approaching the target, decreases to 1000 - 1200 km / h. The missile becomes an excellent target for any modern military self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system from Tor-M1-2U to Pantsir-S1 O, not to mention the medium and long-range anti-aircraft missile systems Buk-M3 and S- 400 Triumph. The Brimstone-2 is a slow and easy-to-intercept missile, and it also has no anti-aircraft maneuvering program. It is very easy to drive it off the trajectory by powerful noise and masking radio-electronic interference, or to destroy the electronic filling by microwave radiation of a microwave protection system of the "Ranets-E" type. The low speed of the missile allows the countermeasures to act on the Brimstone-2 guidance systems for as long as possible. The same will happen when this missile hits the radius of destruction of existing and future active protection systems (KAZ) such as "Arena" or "Afganit", the emphasis on which in the RF Army will increase many times in the near future.
The latest version of the "Sea Apache" most clearly reflects the appearance of the marine multipurpose attack helicopter for the USMC, on which McDonnell Douglas worked for several years. The design of the helicopter shows all the features inherent in the modern Russian Ka-52 "Katran". A multi-mode AN / APG-65 radar, capable of detecting an enemy fighter with an EPR of 3 m2 at a distance of 65-70 km, and a destroyer-class NK - 120-150 km should have been hidden under the nose cone.
The Apache Guardian does not have the design capabilities to quickly install a full-fledged airborne radar with an active phased antenna array, and the AH-64 Sea Apache project, on which the McDonnel Douglas Helicopter division has been working since 1984, later was closed. The program, intended for the United States Marine Corps, provided for the installation of an AN / APG-65 airborne radar with a slot antenna array (SHAR) in the bow of the AH-64 fuselage, which was also installed on early versions of the F / A-18A "Hornet" carrier-based multirole fighters … The station would allow Apache to use AIM-7M missiles, and later AIM-120C missiles to combat enemy naval aviation, as well as cruise and anti-ship missiles. The company also planned to equip the Sea Apaches with Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
It is very interesting that even after equipping Sea Apache with the standard Hornet AN / APG-65 radar from Hughes, the helicopter would receive an almost full-fledged weapons control system from a two-seat modification of the F / A-18B carrier-based fighter with the implementation of the possibility of using anti-radar missiles AGM-88 HARM. As you know, "Apache" is capable of flying 5-10 meters above the surface, in this case the use of "HARMs" could become a real surprise for the enemy's radar and air defense systems. The installation of an optical-electronic sighting system on the "Sea Apache" in addition to the radar was not envisaged, but it could still be implemented. The rotating module could be installed under the nose of the helicopter fuselage, as was done in the Ka-52K, and therefore the helicopter was able to use anti-tank missiles "Hellfire" with semi-active laser seeker. Missiles of the Maverick family with TV / IKGSN could be used on Sea Apache without auxiliary optoelectronic means.
The AH-64A / D / E has lost a lot of opportunities, having not received modernization under the Sea Apache program, and today it lags behind the Ka-52K Katran not only in individual capabilities, but in a whole range of qualities that define a combat helicopter as a promising one. multifunctional impact platform.
