ka-27/28 update - double helix

7262019 Ka-2728 Update - Double Helix

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullka-2728-update-double-helix 14 Defence Helicopter | MarchApril 2015 | Volume 34 Number 2 wwwrotorhubcom

The helicopter fleet operated by the Russian

Naval Aviation (RNA) service however has good

life-extension reserves for use in the ASW and

anti-surface role as there are a lot of hours left on

the airframes of three dozen or soHelix-As

ADDRESSING OBSOLESCENCE

In a bid to solve the obsolescence issue an

upgrade programme was launched in the early

2000s for the RNA Ka-27PL fleet but design

development testing and evaluation proved to

be a notably protracted undertaking The

Compact dependable and agile the Ka-27

(NATO reporting nameHelix ) family of

co-axial helicopters is Russiarsquos only naval

rotorcraft currently in service

It is no exaggeration to refer to it as the

quintessential Russian naval helicopter

combining ingenuity of design with a lack of

regard for aesthetics Tailor-made for operations

from small ships in rough seas the Helix family is

able to operate in any part of the worldrsquos oceans

in temperatures ranging from -50 to +60degC and

humidity up to 98 while ship landings are

possible in Sea State 5

The ASW derivative of this rugged performer

known as the Ka-27PLHelix-A is equipped with a

1980s-vintage Osminog (lsquoOctopusrsquo) mission

suite which is considered obsolete

ongoing upgrade of the existing Ka-27PL

to Ka-27M standard (known internally at

Kamov as the 20D2 project) was due to see the

first two production-standard upgrades being

handed over in late 2014 or early 2015 ndash some

12 years after the programme launch The

upgradedHelix-A is intended to remain in RNA

service until 2030 or even beyond

RNArsquos Ka-27PL fleet which is used for both

shore- and ship-based operations currently

serves with some five composite helicopter

squadrons ndash one in each of the Russian Navyrsquos

KA-2728 UPDATE

The Kamov Ka-27 Russiarsquos onlyin-service naval helicopter has beenspecifically developed for operationsfrom small ships in rough seas

Alexander Mladenov examinesthe current state and objectives of

the Ka-27M28M upgrade effort

helix


httpslidepdfcomreaderfullka-2728-update-double-helix 24wwwrotorhubcom Volume 34 Number 2 | MarchApril 2015 | Defence Helicopter

Northern Baltic and Black Sea

Fleets plus two more assigned to

the Pacific Fleet A small number of

Ka-27s and Ka-28s are operated by a

dedicated training unit at the 859th Naval

Aviation Combat Training Centre stationed at

Yeisk on the Azov Sea in southern Russia

The upgrade of the Ka-27PLrsquos apparently

outdated Osminog ASW suite was conceived for

the first time in the late 1990s In its basic and

original form it called for the replacement of the

Osminog mission system with the all-new

Leninetz Lyra a current-generation product for

retrofitting both the Ka-27PL and possibly the

export-standard Ka-28

A scaled-down derivative of the Novella

(promoted as Sea Dragon for export customers)

mission suite used on the upgraded Ilyushin

Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft its principal

purpose is to enhance detection capabilities for

underwater and surface targets by allowing

integration of new-generation ASW missiles and

guided depth charges The upgradedHelix-A

retains the three-man crew of pilot and

navigatoroperator side by side in the cockpit

and another navigatoroperator in the cabin

working with the ASW gear

AT THE HEART OF IT

The new mission suite proposed for the Ka-27M

is built around the Phazotron-NIIR FH-A

(Kopyo-A) X-band search and targeting radar at

the heart of the Radar Command-Tactical

System (RCTS) an expanded capability tactical

display system a new RGS-B01 sonobuoy

processing system (with RGB-41 omnidirectional

and RGB-48 directional passive buoys) ESM gear

an improved ROS-VM dipping sonar the MMS-

28 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) BSK-50

communications suite and an all-new weapons

control system

The new mission and flightnavigation

systems turn the ASW-only shipborne platform

into a true multi-mission naval helicopter with an

effective ASuW capability able to perform new

roles such as over-the-horizon targeting AEW

and anti-piracy

The Phazotron-NIIR FH-A facilitates a 360deg or

sector scan of an area of interest to detect and

track sea air and land targets The system features

a moving target indicator mode in addition to

high-resolution land and coastal line mapping

weather occurrence detection and navigation

system correction modes The RCTS integrates

and displays all target information supplied by

other onboard sensors such as the sonar

sonobuoys MAD and ESM

The FH-A radar was tested for the first time on

the Ka-27 in January 2003 The 360deg mechanical

scan antenna housed in the under-nose radome

is reportedly capable of simultaneously tracking

up to ten targets and plotting their position with

a high degree of accuracy

The radar can detect a periscope-sized

target from 30km while the helicopter is flying

at 1600ft a small boat can be detected from

130km and large-size ships can be seen from

250km in Sea State 5 with the helicopter

flying at 9100ft The radar can also provide

detection and tracking of fighter-size air

targets from 100km

The coastal area mapping provided has an

accuracy of 33ft and the FH-A also can be used

for SAR Its range resolution in search mode is

16ft and the angular resolution (in azimuth) is

Shipborne workhorse

THE KA98308527PLrsquoS FIRST PROTOTYPE initially designated Ka-252 made its maiden flight on

8 August 1973 DubbedHelix-A by NATO at the time the new ASW helicopter represented a

huge leap forward boasting a highly automated mission avionics suite a reliable powerplant

and a robust airframe and rotor system

Serial production of the basic ASW version with three-man aircrew powered by two

2200shp Klimov TV3-117VK turboshafts commenced in 1977 at KumAPE and the new type

formally entered service with the then Soviet Naval Aviation arm in April 1982 A total of 267

examples of this remarkable type were built in both ASW and SAR configuration for domestic

and export customers until the early 2000s while in 2009-2011 nine more export-standard

examples designated as Ka-28 followed suit and were sold to China

The Ka-27 has compact dimensions due to the co-axial contra-rotating main rotors This

arrangement provides improved handling characteristics enabling it to land on a 33x33ft ship

deck in headwinds of up to 39kt and crosswinds of up to 20kt with the ship rolling up to 10deg

and pitching up to 3deg The co-axial rotors endow theHelix with a high degree of stability in the

hover and also simplify control

The Russian Naval Aviation service

has between 40 and 50 Ka-27PLs

intended to be cycled through theKa-27M upgrade process until about

2020

KA-2728 UPDATE

One of the two Ka-27M prototypes

involved in the test programme

using a fuselage originally

built for an export Ka-28

(All photos Kamov)


httpslidepdfcomreaderfullka-2728-update-double-helix 34

KA-2728 UPDATE

Defence Helicopter | MarchApril 2015 | Volume 34 Number 2 wwwrotorhubcom

28deg In addition the radar can be used for

anti-ship missile targeting purposes supporting

firings of the Kh-35 missile

JOB SHARE

The Ka-27M which features a modern radar with

air-to-surface and air-to-air modes is able to do a

significant share of the job originally assigned to

the specialised Ka-31 shipborne AEW helicopter

inducted in RNA service in mid-2012 but still

ordered in very limited numbers By early 2015

only two examples had been taken on strength

The new mission suite allows the Ka-27M to

perform search track and attack against

submarines at depths of up to 2600ft and

speeds of 40kt and at a distance of 200km from

the ship (with a patrol time of two hours) in Sea

State 5 day and night in good and bad weather

The upgradedHelix-A retains some of the

Ka-27PLrsquos mission systems such as the ROS-VM

dipping sonar housed in the bottom of the

fuselage featuring a maximum detection range

of 8km in active mode and up to 7km in passive

mode but signals processing and display is

undertaken by the new integrated mission suite

The sonar can be replaced by the MMS-28 MAD

which is also integrated in the mission suite (on

the Ka-27PL this was a standalone system) with

up to 600m detection range againstOhio-class

nuclear submarines in submerged states

In the lsquohunterrsquo role the

Ka-27M can carry up to 36

RGB-NM-1 or 32 RGB-16

new-generation sonobuoys

while in the lsquokillerrsquo role it cancarry one guided high-

speed torpedo or up to six

S-3V depth charges Among

the new anti-submarine

weapons to be integrated

on the Ka-27M is the

APR-3EME high-speed

underwater missile which

has a maximum speed of

100kt maximum operating

depth of 2600ft and a

maximum range of 2000m

The TT-4E 324mm

lightweight anti-submarine

guided torpedo with a

range of up to 6km is also

among the newly integrated weapons on the

upgradedHelix-A

The Ka-27M also received the PNK-37 flight

navigation avionics suite originally designed in

the early 2000s for the Ka-52 attack helicopter by

the Ramenskoye Instrument Design Bureau

The Ka-27Mrsquos overall combat capability

compared to that of the non-upgraded Ka-27PL

is claimed to be three times greater due to the

integrated open-architecture mission suite with

new sensors and ordnance

EXTENDED SERVICE LIFE

The mission avionics upgrade comes together

with a comprehensive airframe life-extension

programme to make the upgraded helicopters

good for up to 20 years of operation or 3000

flight hours ndash whichever is reached first

There are about 40-50 Ka-27PLs remaining in

active RNA service According to information

published in the Russian media the Ka-27M

upgrade programme was formally launched in

March 2003 and the flight-testing effort

perhaps too optimistically was planned to be

completed in 20042005 However the

programme suffered prolonged delays

apparently due to the lack of regular funding

(as it was the case with most military aviation

upgrade programmes in Russia in the 1990s

and early 2000s) In 2005-2006 the effort

moved ahead at last going into the flight test

and evaluation phase eventually set for

completion in 2014

This test and evaluation effort was

accelerated only in the early 2010s using two

prototypes One was involved in the first

Ka-27M sea trials undertaken in October 2012

The helicopter operated on the combat trainingrange of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea

near Severomorsk The type also performed

landings and take-offs from the decks of large

ASW ships on the move in different sea states

and completed a range of surface and

underwater search tasks

PRODUCTION PHASE

The first phase of the joint state testing effort

undertaken by the Russian Air Forcersquos State

Flight Test Centre was completed in November

2013 This eventually allowed Kamov to launch

the Ka-27M into production with work

performed at Kumertau Aviation Production

Enterprise (KumAPE) on the first two Russian

Navy examples

According to the countryrsquos Interfax-AVN news

agency the first two production-upgraded

Ka-27Ms were set for delivery to the RNA by the

end of 2014 These examples will be used for

field trials and training of an initial instructor

cadre One will be handed over to the Northern

Ka-27M specifications

DIMENSIONS

Fuselage length 159m

Length with rotors folded 1225m

Width with blades folded 38m

Height54m

Main rotor diameter 159m

WEIGHTS

Normal take-off weight 10700kg

Maximum take-off weight 12000kg

Max combat payload 1000kg

Internal fuel 1487kg

PERFORMANCE

Max speed 156kt

Max cruising speed 124kt

Max rate of climb at sea level 2252ftmin

Service ceiling 11480ft

OGE hover ceiling in ISA conditions

7220ft

Ferry range 648nm

Mission max endurance 3hr 50min

The new FH-A (Kopyo-A) radar endows the

Ka-27M with comprehensive air and surface

target search capabilities



Fleet and the other one will be provided to

the RNArsquos training centre at Yeisk

A multi-year order for an as yet undisclosed

number of Ka-27M upgrades was placed by the

Russian MoD in 2012 Domestic industry sources

have revealed that the number of upgraded

helicopters set for delivery in 2015 will be

increased to four or five while the total scope of

the Ka-27M programme will cover between 30

and 40 Ka-27PLs originally built at KumAPE in

the second half of the 1980s The upgrade

programme of the current fleet is expected to be

completed by about 2020

KA-28 UPGRADE

Meanwhile during 2002 Leninetz announced

that it had already begun marketing an export

upgrade package derived from the Lyra and

named Sea Dragon for Helicopters (SDH) The

Ka-28M upgrade package also includes

integration of new more powerful Klimov

VK-2500 turboshafts and air-to-surface guided

weapons such as the Kh-35E (AS-20Kayak )

anti-ship missile with up to 130km range

In the ASW role the Ka-28M is claimed to be

capable of reaching a maximum speed of 43kt

The service life extension programme offered by

Kamov (derived from that adopted for the

Ka-27M) makes the upgradedHelix good for

3000 flight hours and 20 years The same service

time limits also apply to the TV3-117VMAR

turboshafts and the rotor mast which have TBOs

of 1500 hours15 years and 1000 hours15 years

respectively while the rotor blades are good for

3000 hours and 20 years

Only India was regarded as a likely customer

for the Ka-28M upgrade in the 2000s The

country has expressed interest in getting an

improved derivative with extensive use of

Western mission systems and ordnance

however An RfP for the Ka-28 mid-life upgrade

was issued by the Indian MoD in late 2008

WESTERN SUBSYSTEMS

Rosoboronexport submitted an offer developed

by Kamov as the OEM and main integrator

using Western sub-contractors for the new

systems The OEM joined forces with

Finmeccanica to offer a configuration including

the Selex ES Airborne Tactical Observation

and Surveillance System (ATOS-LW) Seaspray

7300e AESA radar and Titan 385 optronic

payload with IR sensor colour TV camera and

laser rangefinder The joint venture between Rosoboronexport

Kamov and Finmeccanica is reported to have

won the Indian Ka-28 upgrade programme

valued at about INR20 billion ($320 million) The

deal received approval from Indiarsquos Cabinet

Committee on Security and CBI investigators

also cleared the deal However it was later

postponed for an indefinite time

Vietnam is also regarded as a prospective

customer and it intends to place upgrade orders

over the longer term Currently its Ka-28 fleet is

being cycled through main overhaul in Russia (at

the Sevastopol Aviation Repair Plant) and the

upgrade to Ka-28M standard is likely to take

place during the next overhaul cycle due in the

2023-2025 time frame

The follow-on upgrade standards for the

Ka-28 which will be offered to customers such

as India and Vietnam could feature extensive

Israeli-built mission systems DH

KA-2728 UPDATE

The Kh-35E anti-ship missile is

offered for the export Ka-28

The Indian Navyrsquos Ka-28s were

regarded as primary targets

for a comprehensive upgrade


httpslidepdfcomreaderfullka-2728-update-double-helix 24wwwrotorhubcom Volume 34 Number 2 | MarchApril 2015 | Defence Helicopter

Northern Baltic and Black Sea

Fleets plus two more assigned to

the Pacific Fleet A small number of

Ka-27s and Ka-28s are operated by a

dedicated training unit at the 859th Naval

Aviation Combat Training Centre stationed at

Yeisk on the Azov Sea in southern Russia

The upgrade of the Ka-27PLrsquos apparently

outdated Osminog ASW suite was conceived for

the first time in the late 1990s In its basic and

original form it called for the replacement of the

Osminog mission system with the all-new

Leninetz Lyra a current-generation product for

retrofitting both the Ka-27PL and possibly the

export-standard Ka-28

A scaled-down derivative of the Novella

(promoted as Sea Dragon for export customers)

mission suite used on the upgraded Ilyushin

Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft its principal

purpose is to enhance detection capabilities for

underwater and surface targets by allowing

integration of new-generation ASW missiles and

guided depth charges The upgradedHelix-A

retains the three-man crew of pilot and

navigatoroperator side by side in the cockpit

and another navigatoroperator in the cabin

working with the ASW gear

AT THE HEART OF IT

The new mission suite proposed for the Ka-27M

is built around the Phazotron-NIIR FH-A

(Kopyo-A) X-band search and targeting radar at

the heart of the Radar Command-Tactical

System (RCTS) an expanded capability tactical

display system a new RGS-B01 sonobuoy

processing system (with RGB-41 omnidirectional

and RGB-48 directional passive buoys) ESM gear

an improved ROS-VM dipping sonar the MMS-

28 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) BSK-50

communications suite and an all-new weapons

control system

The new mission and flightnavigation

systems turn the ASW-only shipborne platform

into a true multi-mission naval helicopter with an

effective ASuW capability able to perform new

roles such as over-the-horizon targeting AEW

and anti-piracy

The Phazotron-NIIR FH-A facilitates a 360deg or

sector scan of an area of interest to detect and

track sea air and land targets The system features

a moving target indicator mode in addition to

high-resolution land and coastal line mapping

weather occurrence detection and navigation

system correction modes The RCTS integrates

and displays all target information supplied by

other onboard sensors such as the sonar

sonobuoys MAD and ESM

The FH-A radar was tested for the first time on

the Ka-27 in January 2003 The 360deg mechanical

scan antenna housed in the under-nose radome

is reportedly capable of simultaneously tracking

up to ten targets and plotting their position with

a high degree of accuracy

The radar can detect a periscope-sized

target from 30km while the helicopter is flying

at 1600ft a small boat can be detected from

130km and large-size ships can be seen from

250km in Sea State 5 with the helicopter

flying at 9100ft The radar can also provide

detection and tracking of fighter-size air

targets from 100km

The coastal area mapping provided has an

accuracy of 33ft and the FH-A also can be used

for SAR Its range resolution in search mode is

16ft and the angular resolution (in azimuth) is

Shipborne workhorse

THE KA98308527PLrsquoS FIRST PROTOTYPE initially designated Ka-252 made its maiden flight on

8 August 1973 DubbedHelix-A by NATO at the time the new ASW helicopter represented a

huge leap forward boasting a highly automated mission avionics suite a reliable powerplant

and a robust airframe and rotor system

Serial production of the basic ASW version with three-man aircrew powered by two

2200shp Klimov TV3-117VK turboshafts commenced in 1977 at KumAPE and the new type

formally entered service with the then Soviet Naval Aviation arm in April 1982 A total of 267

examples of this remarkable type were built in both ASW and SAR configuration for domestic

and export customers until the early 2000s while in 2009-2011 nine more export-standard

examples designated as Ka-28 followed suit and were sold to China

The Ka-27 has compact dimensions due to the co-axial contra-rotating main rotors This

arrangement provides improved handling characteristics enabling it to land on a 33x33ft ship

deck in headwinds of up to 39kt and crosswinds of up to 20kt with the ship rolling up to 10deg

and pitching up to 3deg The co-axial rotors endow theHelix with a high degree of stability in the

hover and also simplify control

The Russian Naval Aviation service

has between 40 and 50 Ka-27PLs

intended to be cycled through theKa-27M upgrade process until about

2020

KA-2728 UPDATE

One of the two Ka-27M prototypes

involved in the test programme

using a fuselage originally

built for an export Ka-28

(All photos Kamov)



KA-2728 UPDATE





JOB SHARE




































APR-3EME high-speed






The TT-4E 324mm





upgradedHelix-A






























completion in 2014











PRODUCTION PHASE








Navy examples








DIMENSIONS




Height54m


WEIGHTS





PERFORMANCE

Max speed 156kt





7220ft

Ferry range 648nm




















KA-28 UPGRADE




























WESTERN SUBSYSTEMS






























KA-2728 UPDATE








KA-2728 UPDATE





JOB SHARE




































APR-3EME high-speed






The TT-4E 324mm





upgradedHelix-A






























completion in 2014











PRODUCTION PHASE








Navy examples








DIMENSIONS




Height54m


WEIGHTS





PERFORMANCE

Max speed 156kt





7220ft

Ferry range 648nm




















KA-28 UPGRADE




























WESTERN SUBSYSTEMS






























KA-2728 UPDATE





















KA-28 UPGRADE




























WESTERN SUBSYSTEMS






























KA-2728 UPDATE






ka-27/28 update - double helix

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