Russian Navy gets ANSAT helicopter

Not familiar with that model bell, but to put the ANSAT into perspective it is a 3 ton helo with the capacity to carry 10 passengers. It is half the size of the Ka-60, but the Ka-60 is a 6 ton helo with a 2.5 ton payload capability. The previously most common Russian naval helo is the Ka-27 series with a weight of 12 tons or so with a 5 ton payload capacity. The 600km range of the ANSAT should be plenty for operations from small vessels and a large percentage of internal space will probably be taken with equipment and perhaps extra fuel. I doubt a small vessel would need a helo that could carry a large fraction of the ships crew in one go… unless it is used to transport bording parties. The proliferation of MANPADS would suggest this would not be ideal, so perhaps a customised model with some transport capacity but also more internal equipment like sensors and processing equipment with more fuel to compensate perhaps would be likely.

For what purpose?

i think it has same purpose like bell 206. light utility helicopter.

BTW there are two Russian engine contendors I know of… both from the TV3-117 family of turboshafts that power most Mil and Kamov designs…

The VK-800 (800hp) and VK-1500VM (1,600hp) engines would be suitable for an aircraft the size of the ANSAT.

Have seen a lot of corvette designs with helos on the rear that are a bit small for a 10 ton class helo like a Ka-27 series helo. Perhaps there is a role for a smaller helo that is part of a weapon system (like Yakhont) on such a vessel for over the horizon targeting of long range missiles?

Of course all the requirements of the present are not fighting WWIII, so perhaps its role is simply to extend the sensor range of the vessel it is flown from to make it more effective in fisheries patrol and anti smuggling… and of course the “stopping terrorists” BS.

With a decent radar and a thermal imaging system it would be very similar to the recon version of the Ka-60 in regards to role, but being a 3 ton helo compared to the Ka-60s 6 ton weight it will be smaller and lighter… about the same weight as the Mi-2.

Would be a useful little addition to the Navy to have a few ANSATs on board small vessels. Would allow these small craft to exploit the range of their weapons much better… especially those vessels fitted with 100mm or 130mm guns as they would allow laser guided shells to be fired with the helo lasing the target from a safe distance of course, not to mention providing target data for anti ship missiles like Uran, Yakhont, Moskit, etc etc… perhaps later on Hermes too.

that’s a nice looking light helicopter it looks very western, not what you would expect from a Russian firm

Some info and pics here http://www.kazanhelicopters.com/eng/helicopters/ansat
http://www.kazanhelicopters.com/eng/helicopters/ansat/training

In April 2004, the assembly of the first prototype of Ansat-U training version was completed.

For what purpose?

Interesting question. The Ansat was selected by the RuAF as its new training helicopter in 2001. The Navy was supposedly going with the Ka-226U, but this report suggests that plan may have been dropped. The “new super-modern weapon” quote is bizarre.

Any idea what engines this Russian military version has? Surely not the P&W ones?

The PW207K is the only engine currently offered for the type.

Any idea what engines this Russian military version has? Surely not the P&W ones?

That would be illegal, so no 🙂

Perhaps the engines of the Ka-60? *shrug*

(or a variant thereof)

It would make a decent training helo, the Radar MMS airframe pictured above is a trials platform AFAIK. Probably much cheaper to operate than a Ka-27/28.

Any idea what engines this Russian military version has? Surely not the P&W ones?

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Ansat

More Pictures here