MiG-29SMTs and Ka-52s for Yemen

Ka-52 Flies to Yemen

The first recipient of Ka-52 combat helicopters built on the basis of the famous “Black Shark” may be not the Russian military, but the armed forces of Yemen. In the near future, RSK MiG intends to conclude with this country a contract worth more than 150 million dollars for the delivery of 12 aircraft, the previous modifications of which Russia has tried unsuccessfully to sell to six other states.

The Ka-52 is a twin-seat variant of the Ka-50 ?Black Shark? helicopter which OAO Kamov produced (RSK MiG controls 49 percent of the shares, which belong to the state), and, in comparison with it, has been adapted for combat operations at night. The production of the “Sharks” ended 10 years ago at the Progress plant in Primor?e. The Russian military bought several Ka-50 helicopters, which were given preference over the Mi-28 helicopter at the start of the ’90s. Last year, Russian air force representatives declared that they will buy a limited number of Ka-52 for special purpose elements, but they will put the main stress on arming with the Mi-28N strike helicopter.

According to the general director of RSK MiG, Vladimir Toryanin, “in the very neat future,” a contract will be concluded for the delivery of 12 Ka-52 “Alligator” helicopters “with one of the countries.? In order to realized delivery, the company at first is supposed to complete a prior contract and deliver to an unnamed country six MiG-29 fighters, which it is trying to do even now.

The general designer and general director of OAO Kamov, Sergey Mikheev, has confirmed to ?Vedomosti? information about the forthcoming signing of a contract for the delivery of 12 Ka-52 helicopters for one of the foreign countries. He refused to name the buyer, noting only that the cost of one aircraft will be approximately half the cost of the competing U.S. AH-64D “Apache Longbow” strike helicopter. According to an expert of the Center for the Study of Problems of Disarmament, Marat Kenzhetaev, the “Apache” is sold to Arabic countries at a price of up to 50 million dollars each.

A source close to RSK MiG management says that Yemen will be the Ka-52 buyer. The sides have been negotiating the contract, according to him, for a long time, but the signing is being drawn out because the company is late with the delivery to the country of six MiG-29SMT fighters under a 2003 contract. In 2001. RSK MiG concluded a contract with Yemen for the sale of 14 MiG-29 fighters (an earlier modification), which is supposed to be upgraded into the MiG-29SMT variant after the delivery of the six airplanes of this type. The total cost of the deal with Yemen according to the source is 400 million dollars.

A defense ministry employee has confirmed to Vedomosti information that Yemen wants to buy a batch of Ka-52. According to a source at RSK MiG, production of helicopters is not taking place right now, but can be resumed “quickly.” Earlier Russia simultaneously had tried to sell abroad other modifications of the ?Black Shark.” In particular, a batch of 145 twin-seat Ka-50-2 ?Ehrdogan? worth 4.5 billion dollars was advanced for a tender declared by Turkey, but last week the Turkish government abandoned the idea of holding the competition. The Ka-50 has been offered to South Korea and Singapore, which in the event preferred the ?Apache.? In 1999, Russia offered to buy several Ka-50 helicopters for Slovakia toward lowering the debt of the former USSR, but the Slovaks refused the deal. The Ka-50 also have been offered for the armed forces of Finland and Sweden ? they, however, generally decided to refuse purchase of strike helicopters.

According to Kenzhetaev, the Ka-50 has been offered at a price of 12 – 14 million dollars per aircraft. The cost of the contract for the delivery of 12 Ka-52 helicopters, which cost more, in the opinion of the expert, will be not lower than 150 million dollars.

Konstantin Makeinko from the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies calls it a ?national disgrace? that ?such a poor state as Yemen, and not the Russian military, will be the first Ka-52 buyer.? In any case, he notes, ?the contract will help bring scientific research and experimental design work on the helicopter to an end and remove defects.?

Source: 31.05.04, Vedomosti

“National Disgrace” is a very strong phrase.