Russia marketing fifth-generation attack copters in Mideast

GeoStrategy Direct ^ | 6/19/2010 | GepStrategy Direct

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Russia's Mil Design Bureau has briefed military delegations from Arab and other states on an advanced helicopter expected to begin production by 2015. They said the helicopter would feature capabilities for stealth and the downing of fighter-jets.

"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," Mil chief executive officer Andrei Shibitov said. At a briefing on May 13, Shibitov said Mil would produce the first fifth-generation helicopter in the world. He said the company would spend $1 billion on the project, with additional funds provided by the Russian Defense Ministry. Industry analysts said any new helicopter must be stealthy, operate with little noise, reach a speed of 600 kilometers per hour and be fully digital. They said the Kremlin must massively support such a project as well as guarantee Russian military procurement.

"If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine," Leonid Ivashov, director of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, said.

Mil briefed Middle East states on the fifth-generation helicopter at the Heli-Russia exhibition in May. The company also promoted existing products, such as the Mi-26 and Mi-35 combat helicopters. Mil also marketed the advanced Ka-52 Alligator, regarded as a fourth-generation platform.

Ivashov said he was skeptical whether Mil could complete a fifth-generation helicopter project within this decade. He said the Russian military, hampered by a severe budget shortfall, has been slow to purchase new platforms.

"We have been trying to tackle everything — fifth-generation planes, fifth-generation helicopters, but nothing of this have so far been supplied to the Army," Ivashov told the Russian daily Gazeta. "Today, the Army still uses helicopters produced in 1970s

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[gaijin]

KA-52 Alligator

[Sax]

Russian, the practical bitches that they always are, love their rotary wing aircraft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRwNne7EPTc

[kbennkc]

600 kph is right zippy in a rotor craft. I wouldn't put it past them Rooskies to figure it out .

[gaijin]

Dayum that vid ROCKED...!!!

[Chode]

well i can stealth isn't a concern... be right hard to hide that thing in the weeds, or anywhere else for that matter

sidebyside seating makes it a wider target too

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

We pay hundreds of billions of dollars every year to pay for oil from countries like the Arab countries which are then turning around and using the money we supplied to support the Russian high-tech arms industries and build up their defenses, with the most likely use of these weapons against US forces or Israeli forces.

This is bleeding us dry and weakening us. This is exactly what the far Left, including Obama, want. That is why no nuclear energy in the US and every possible obstacle is placed in the way of utilizing our domestic energy resources.

[Talisker]

Russia marketing fifth-generation attack copters in Mideast

That's nothing. Putin's marketing fifth-generation communism to the entire world.

[mowowie]

Some crazy stuff there.

[USNBandit]

I was talking recently to an instructor who had flown with a Russian pilot that had flown the coaxial Ka-25. He said the aircraft had a big issue recovering from vortex ring state.

Shouldn't be as big an issue with an attack helicopter, but I wonder how bad that would be in this one.