Ka-52 in Russian Air Force

Vikhr is made by KBP and was probably only made in fairly small numbers for testing.

With Hermes on the way (which is basically a Pantsir-S1 missile with a different warhead/and with terminal guidance options) I don't think they will tool up for mass production of Vikhr for the short interval till Hermes is ready.

Hermes is a rather different missile with two stage design.

The Su-25T didn't enter service in any numbers and I think they built about a dozen or two Ka-50s at a very low rate so I doubt stocks are significant.

Ka-50 and Su-25T use Shkval to guide the Vikhr and the Ka-52 doesn't have Shkval.

The Krisantema uses laser beam riding guidance in addition to MMW radar command guidance, so when both the Ka-52 and Mi-28NM are fitted for the K they should also be able to use any stocks of Vikhr that might be left but I suspect they were pretty small and probably have been used up already in tests and exercises.

I would suspect in terms of anti radiation missiles that the Ka-52 will more likely use the 300kg Kh-25 series labelled AS-12 by NATO, its range of 40km would be more in tune with threats to a Ka-52 than the 110km range 600kg Kh-31 or the new model 250km range 700kg versions.

I would expect the Kh-31 would be an option, but the MMW radar sensor on the Army Hokum will not likely detect threats at more than 20-30km or so, and because it would operate low down most of the radar threats to the aircraft would be dealt with using 40km range ARMs like the Kh-25s.

The Kh-31 could probably be carried, but its utility to a low flying aircraft would probably be quite limited.

Regarding TR1s photo above that is the SALH Kh-25 which is known in the west as the AS-10 Karen and would be useful against targets like small bridges or bunkers where there is another platform marking the target with a laser or for the launch aircraft to mark with a laser.

In each case the 90kg warhead of the 300-320kg missiles would be quite efficient and effective.

For harder targets however they would have options like the Kh-29 with a 320kg HE warhead out to 40km in some models, and also the Kh-31 might be useful as well, but its warhead is about 90kgs too so effect on target is similar to the smaller Kh-25 though the range of the latter is shorter.

For the naval Kamov of course carrying an AESA radar it will be flying at higher altitudes and higher speeds for which a Kh-31 would be of greater use.

A mix of anti radiation and anti ship models would actually be ideal as the anti ship missile could be fired first followed by an anti radiation missile for when the targets start scanning to see where that first missile came from.

Quite true, but my point is that the Naval Ka-52 will also carry the anti ship version of the Kh-31 as its extra range will make the helo safer in combat against patrol and similar sized vessels, so carrying the anti radiation version makes more sense.

For the Army helicopter, the other large targets it might engage like bridges or bunkers will most likely be engaged with laser guided AS-10s so it probably makes sense to use Kh-25MP and other ARM versions of that missile for any radar threats too.

The main problems will be the low altitude and low speed launch which will reduce the max range of any weapon launched from these helos.

For the naval aircraft that is already carrying antiship Kh-31s it would certainly make sense in the flat open sea environment to carry long range ARMs to improve safety... in combat against a patrol craft or corvette armed with MANPADS moat missiles will do the trick including Hermes in terms of range, but in terms of payload you would need something like Kh-25 for warhead mass to do some serious damage... in many ways the Kh-25 in its anti radiation or the new TV or IIR guided models is very much like a Maverick in terms of performance.

The Kh-38 is in development and may replace the Kh-25 in some roles but it is a much larger and heavier missile that is not so suitable for small light aircraft including helos.

Buying the TV and IIR guided versions of the Kh-25 would greatly improve the firepower of the lighter aircraft able to carry them and as an example would greatly improve the performance of the Su-25SM in terms of its ability to hit point targets with precision at standoff ranges.

Hermes offers another capability with 1/3rd the warhead weight and half the range but carried in bundles of 8 missiles per pylon.

It seems the other crewman died later in hospital...

RIP to the two crew.

It is a weird feeling... on the one hand I am sad they died but on the other I am jealous that their job was to fly around in Ka-52s...

Regarding ejection seats plenty of pilots have been killed in aircraft fitted with ejection seats, it really is too soon to speculate with little to no information available.

Interesting that the Atakas have been converted to laser beam riding... perhaps that is the type of ATAKA missile the BMPT is to use as it would only require a laser beam riding lasing system to use rather than the 35 GHz thimble nose on the Mi-28 series to guide it.

Bit of a shame they are not going ahead with the above rotor radar antenna... it might have vibration problems but it also gets the best all round view...