"Black Sharks"in Chechnya

By: ha27 - 5th July 2006 at 12:46

The History Of The Ka-50/Ka-29 in Chechnya.
MILTECH-9/2005
On 26Dec2000 two Ka-50s and one Ka-29 air command-target designation arrived in Groznyi(Severnyi) for test and further develop the concepts for attack helicopters operations,with 8 pilots and co-pilots,26 technicians from 344 Training Center.
The first reconnaissance sorties with the Ka-50s and Mi-24 were carried out on 1Jan2001 and after 6Jan2001 combat missions started,among the typical targets were parking sites,rebel camps and groups ammunition depots,field fortifications,shelters,trenches,etc,most targets were placed in hard-to-reach mountain areas,on slopes,in gorges and tops of mountains at elevations around 1500m.
The Ka-50 advantageous performance in terms of high maneuverability and rate of climb,the pilot of No:24 exceeded all calculated vertical speed data,the rate of climb was registered at 30m/s.
In 16Jan2001 Ka-50 No:25 was performing a low-altitude attack with unguided rockets when the pilot felt an abnormal vibration and decided to land at Hankala Air Field,a ground inspection revealed a blade tip damage,the damaged parts cut off and the helicopter flew over its base,and for 3 weeks it had to wait for a spare blade.
By midFeb2001 a total of 76 stories had been completed for a total of more than 63 flight hour,S-8 rockets were the most used ammunition with a total 929 rockets being fired,some 1500 round of 30mm ammunition and 3 VIKHR missiles(there weren't that many targets worth a VIKHR).
The results of operation in Chechnya issued a decision to restart Ka-50 series production and accelerate development activities for the Ka-52,and the Ka-29 was to be upgraded with the SAM**** 24-hour,NVG-compatible night vision goggles.
any comments photos.