Ka-28 (Helix) Russian Anti-Submarine Helicopter

KA-28 The Ka-28 helicopter is an export version of the Ka-27 anti-sub and rescue helicopter of the Russian Navy. Aircraft of the type were mass-produced in Kumertau, with a total of 267 built. By 2000, 33 Ka-28s were assembled. They were sold to China, India, Vietnam, Syria, Yugoslavia and Cuba. Under the 1998 contract, five Ka-28 anti-sub helicopters and three Ka-27PS search and rescue ones were delivered to China, three in 1999 and five in 2000. The ship-based anti-submarine helicopter KA-28 is intended to be used to search, to track and to destroy submarines in under-water and above-water positions, day and night, in simple and complicated weather conditions at the depth of their immersion up to 500 m and travel speeds up to 75 km/h, in the regions being remote from the point of the helicopter basing at the distance up to 200 km. These tasks are fulfilled at the flights from the land aerodromes and from the deck a ship at the sea disturbance up to 5 number. The helicopter is equipped with the inflatable ballonnets system allowing to carry out an emergent landing of the helicopter on the water surface, and also with the blade folding mechanism what makes it possible to considerably diminish the overall dimensions at its storage in the hangars of ships and aerodromes. Coaxial Ka-28 helicopter has two rotors of 15.9-m diameter each. The polymeric composite blades are equipped with electrical thermal de-icing system and blade folding system allowing to keep the helicopter in the ship hangars. Compact airframe with the empennage of a fixed-wing A/C type has four-leg non-retractable landing gear for operating the helicopter from ship decks in the sea state conditions of up to ±10 degrees. The export version of Ka-28 is developed on the basis of Ka-27 and differs from it by some on-board equipment units, "friend-or-foe" identification system and larger fuel system capacity - 4,470 l. The operating ratings of TV3-117VMA engines, developed by the company, headed by Mr. A. Sarkisov, Designer General, were supplemented by higher-power emergency rating in case one of the engines fails. Due to the unique qualities of a coaxial rotor layout the helicopter features high power-to-weight ratio, small dimensions, maneuverability, simplicity of control and safety of flight operations from ship decks in stringent sea conditions and turbulent atmosphere. Simplicity of piloting techniques and perfect flight-navigational package make it possible for one pilot to fly prolonged combat missions above reference-free water surface in any time of the year, day-and-night, and in IFR conditions. After the target is detected the on-board avionics suite in combination with the automatic control system of the helicopter solve the task of bringing the helicopter to the designated point and automatic firing of the weapons selected by the pilot. The flight tests of the upgraded Ka-28 helicopter with new avionics have started to be over in mid-2007. The upgraded version features the Kopyo-A airborne radar developed by the Fazotron-NIIR corporation. The flight tests were expected to be over in the middle of 2008. Several foreign countries have initiated talks with the "Rosoboronexport" over modernization of Ka-28 helicopters supplied to them by the Soviet Union earlier. The "Kopyo-A" new long-range airborne radar has surveillance radius of 250 km. It is a pulse-Doppler X-band multimode radar with high resolution. Kopyo-A ensures all-weather 360-deg surveillance in maritime border patrols. In addition to its main functions, the radar allows making high-resolution maps, as well as identifying and tracking up to ten water objects, searching and detecting aerial targets. It can also be used for navigation, and missile guidance. He added that modernized Ka-28s would be able to launch X-35 air-to-surface and air-to-ship guided missiles. Chinese helicopters have most advanced "Izumrud" (Emerald) search radar system installed.