Is this a reason to trade vaccines for choppers? wtf are we talking about
Rumour time again - possible PLAN deal for Ka-52 helicopters
- Thread starter escobar
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the rumours are spreading now on the Chinese net. the general feeling is that the PLAN doesn't seem to be confident that an indigenous chopper will be ready in time.
that said, the ka-52 is a pretty good helicopter, and PLAN has plenty of experience with ka-28, couple this with the potential of borrowing the dual-rotor design, maybe there are good technical reasons for acquiring some, aside from the urgency.
A small to medium sized buy of Ka-52s and Ka-52Ks is probably one of the few purchases from Russia (that they're willing to sell) that would be useful to the PLA now and into the future, as that list is dwindling by the year.
As a 10-11 ton MTOW attack helicopter, the Ka-52 family are in a different weight class to the 6-7 ton Z-10s (let alone Z-19s), and what that means in terms of weapons load, sensor size, and armour is quite significant.
Developing a 10 ton MTOW attack helicopter is definitely within the Chinese aerospace industry's capabilities at present, and they can adopt much of the Z-20's subsystems (engines, rotors, transmission, if not elements of the flight control system) to an attack helicopter derivative not dissimilar from the UH-1 to AH-1 evolution, and many of the avionics, weapons systems and datalinks would likely be iterative from existing attack and scout helicopters. But... that will still take time to develop, test, verify, and produce.
A purchase of a few dozen Ka-52s and Ka-52Ks basically gives a relatively quick boost to the heavy attack helicopter capabilities of the PLA, and would probably be most relevant for a Taiwan contingency, to be frank, where payload and survivability of the attack helicopters would be of greatest concern (as far as the PLA's major strategic directions where a heavy attack helicopter would be most relevant in).
Needless to say, if such a purchase does go ahead, I expect the PLA to insist that at least domestic weapons systems and datalinks are integrated, if not domestic sensors and cockpit systems as well.
As a 10-11 ton MTOW attack helicopter, the Ka-52 family are in a different weight class to the 6-7 ton Z-10s (let alone Z-19s), and what that means in terms of weapons load, sensor size, and armour is quite significant.
Developing a 10 ton MTOW attack helicopter is definitely within the Chinese aerospace industry's capabilities at present, and they can adopt much of the Z-20's subsystems (engines, rotors, transmission, if not elements of the flight control system) to an attack helicopter derivative not dissimilar from the UH-1 to AH-1 evolution, and many of the avionics, weapons systems and datalinks would likely be iterative from existing attack and scout helicopters. But... that will still take time to develop, test, verify, and produce.
A purchase of a few dozen Ka-52s and Ka-52Ks basically gives a relatively quick boost to the heavy attack helicopter capabilities of the PLA, and would probably be most relevant for a Taiwan contingency, to be frank, where payload and survivability of the attack helicopters would be of greatest concern (as far as the PLA's major strategic directions where a heavy attack helicopter would be most relevant in).
Needless to say, if such a purchase does go ahead, I expect the PLA to insist that at least domestic weapons systems and datalinks are integrated, if not domestic sensors and cockpit systems as well.
The rumor is most likely true... KA-52 news under PLAAF news link...
Rumour time again - possible PLAN deal for Ka-52 helicopters
If they follow AH-1's development from UH-1 Huey, or Z19's development from Z9, a slim attack version of Z20F would be very potent with its heavy weapon payload. And with folded rotor blades, sits well on Type 075's deck.
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I agree - I was about to write a post in favor of the deal.
Just want to add, not only this deal fills an immediate need for PLAN, it will also support Russia's MIC from a strategic partnership standpoint, given the dwindling list of Russia weapons that China is interested to buy and Russia is willing to sell. There is appeal from Russia recently calling for China to buy more Su-35.
In fact, I would go several steps further to suggest that China and Russia should probably strike a deal for China to purchase a dozen of Russia SSN Yassen-M to counter the AUKUS submarine deals. This will NOT involve technology transfer and it is large enough to incentivize Russia. This would send a strong signal of China-Russia de-facto alliance and deter the adversarial block. I'll probably post my thoughts to the AUKUS thread as it is off-topic here.
Putin and Xi are bros now, so it won't surprise me if deals are made even for political reasons to cement the relationship.
Plus the Ka-52 is a bad ass chopper.
I don't think Russia is ready to sell China nuclear submarines though, or that China would even want it, given that their own submarine shipyards are ready to take off in production. AUKUS submarine won't deliver a submarine until 15 years from now, and many things can still happen.
I also won't mind seeing Ka-28 and Ka-31 purchases either.
Plus the Ka-52 is a bad ass chopper.
I don't think Russia is ready to sell China nuclear submarines though, or that China would even want it, given that their own submarine shipyards are ready to take off in production. AUKUS submarine won't deliver a submarine until 15 years from now, and many things can still happen.
I also won't mind seeing Ka-28 and Ka-31 purchases either.
If this goes trough, it will be exactly like Su-35 deal. It will be limited numbers and more like learning opportunity for the upcoming Chinese heavy and also to make advisories' conflict planning more cumbersome.
When I think about this, it actually makes much more sense than Su-35 deal. China does not have anything like Ka-52.
When I think about this, it actually makes much more sense than Su-35 deal. China does not have anything like Ka-52.