Ka-50 Black Shark

The Ka-50 "Black Shark" is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. Ka-50 is also known as Werewolf. It is a high-performance combat helicopter with day and night capability, high survivability and fire power to defeat air targets and heavily armoured tanks armed with air defence weapons. It entered service with the Russian Army during 1995 and is manufactured at the Sazykin Aviation Company Progress based in Arseniev Maritime Territory, Russia.

The Ka-50 Black Shark is designed to survive on the battlefield. The pilot is encased in armor designed to resist armor-penetrating rounds up to 12.7mm. The KA-50's rotors can take repeated hits from small arms fire. If the armor fails, a rocket-powered ejection system is installed for the pilot's emergency use.

Armaments are fitted to hardpoints on two wings / pylons tipped with countermeasure pods. Up to 12 supersonic laser-guided vikhr anti-tank missiles can be carried, each with a range of 8km. A range of unguided rocket pods, mines and bomblets can also be fitted. The KA-50 carried a 30mm cannon beneath its nose. Firing either armor-piercing or explosive incendiary rounds, the 2A42 cannon can make short work of both armored and soft targets.

A night attack version, Ka-50N, with Samshit-50T thermal imager, day TV and laser rangefinder has been developed, and Kamov has also joined with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) to produce a version, the Ka-50-2 Erdogan that is compatible with Nato weapons and has an Israeli equipped cockpit.

KA-50 Black Shark Specifications
Crew: 1 Pilot / Gunner
Engines: 2 x 2,200 Horse Power TV3-117VMA
Dimensions: L - 15.9 m, W (wing span) - 7.3 m, H - 4.9 m
Weights: 7,692 kg (empty), 10,800 kg (max loudout)
Max Speed: 310 km/h
Range: 460 km
Armament: 2A42 30mm Cannon, 12 x Vikhr supersonic laser-guided anti-tank missiles, AA missiles, unguided rockets
Avionics: inertial navigation system (INS), autopilot, head-up display (HUD), FLIR (forward-looking infrared), terrain-following radar, RWS (radar warning system), chaff /flare dispensors, electronic jamming systems