Russia loses 40th Ka-52 Alligator, which the Kremlin calls the world's 'best helicopter gunship'
- Russia has lost 40 of its best attack helicopters.
- The Kremlin bills the Kamov Ka-52 Alligator as the "world's best helicopter gunship."
The independent monitoring group Oryx, which only counts combat losses confirmed through open sources, says that Russia has lost 40 Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopters.
These mounting losses come despite the Kremlin billing the Alligator as the "world's best helicopter gunship," the Kyiv Post reports.
The outlet also reported that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Kyiv's forces took out a 40th Alligator helicopter near Robotyne on Monday, August 7.
It brings the total confirmed helicopter losses to 101. Oryx figures indicate that 88 were destroyed, 12 were damaged, and one was captured.
Ukraine claims it has destroyed over 300 Russian helicopters.
A significant threat to Ukraine's ground forces
The Alligator's 30mm cannon, anti-tank missiles, counter-rotating rotors, and "smart" targeting systems have significantly disrupted Ukraine's ground forces and helped hamper the summer counteroffensive's progress.
In June, Insider's Ryan Pickrell wrote that the Ka-52 Alligators were "emerging as a threat to Ukraine's ground forces that must be quickly engaged with air-defense missiles before they can eliminate its heavy armor, such as tanks and infantry fighting vehicles."
While some military experts say the US Apache helicopter is superior to the Ka-52, the Russian weapon is without a doubt highly rated.
In its review of the top nine attack helicopters, Military-Today.com wrote: "The Ka-52 is one of the fastest and most maneuverable attack helicopters due to its two coaxial contra-rotating main rotors. Armor of this gunship withstands hits from 23 mm projectiles. Pilots are seated in ejection seats."
Each attack helicopter has a crew of two and costs upwards of $16 million.
Man-portable air-defense systems, including American-made Stingers, have been among the most effective weapons at killing Ka-52 crews, Forbes reported.
Stocks of the Stinger, a hand-held antiaircraft missile, are reportedly at critically low levels following limited production in the US and over a year of deliveries to Ukraine.