The air regiment of the Russian Western Military District received some ten new Ka-52 helicopter gunships, district spokesman Igor Muginov said on March 10, 2018.

A Russian Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopter
(Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence)

"Two wings of new combat helicopters Ka-52 were delivered to the helicopter regiment which was formed in the Western Military District last December and is deployed in Smolensk region," he said.

Dismantled rotorcraft were delivered to Pskov from the producer in the Far East. They were assembled there and flew to the permanent deployment base.

"The crews retrained in the army aviation center in Tver region made the first flights on new Ka-52," Muginov said.

Ka-52 reconnaissance helicopter gunships (Hokum-B by NATO classification) are designed to destroy armored hardware, troops and low-speed air targets. The helicopter can engage in combat in any time of the day and weather conditions. The crew comprises two men sitting side-by-side in a single cockpit. The set of Ka-52 armaments comprises unguided and precision weapons, including antitank guided missiles. The helicopter is armed with a 30mm gun. Ka-52 can operate in any weather, hot climate, mountains and the Arctic.