AH-64 Apache Vs. the Ka-52 Alligator: Who Wins in the Battle of the Best Attack Chopper?

AH-64 Apache Vs. the Ka-52 Alligator: Who Wins in the Battle of the Best Attack Chopper?
The AH-64 Apache and Ka-52 Alligator are two military helicopter samples that show what the east and west could create for their armies. VITALY TIMKIV/AFP via Getty Images

The AH-64 Apache and Ka-52 are the most powerful gunship made for close air support; both have been used on battlefields extensively.

The Guardian and Hokum-B have a specification that gives one of them an advantage over the other. Their most powerful variants are the Apache Guardian and the Alligator, used by the USAF and Russian Air Force.

Matching the AH-64 Apache, Ka-52 Alligator

The Apache is a dual-turboshaft gunship first introduced by the US in 1986; three companies building it were Hughes Helicopters, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing, reported View60s.

They started building in 1975 and are still going strong in 2021, with over 2,400 completed. It includes two crew members that can fly as well as wield weapons.

These helicopters' engines use two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines. However, other countries, such as the United Kingdom, employ different machines, such as the British Rolls-Royce.

The AH-64 made helicopters deadlier and more modern by including a helmet-mounted display that allowed pilots to see information easily. It also enables the chain cannon to fire where the pilot is looking.

It has sensors that paint a target (TADS) and assist functions like night vision with flares and IHADSS to make it an all-day-night attacker.

With 30-mm Chain Gun, Hellfire tank killer missiles (288), stinger, and sidewinders can track 256 targets in 31 kilometers. The new arms are MBDA Brimstone and Spike NLOS.

Ka-52 Alligator Is a Russian Beast

The Ka-52 Alligator is a variant of the Ka-50 Black Shark with an ejection seat through the AH-64 Apache that has none. The VK-2500 engine powers an all-weather helicopter, and production began in mid-1996. According to estimates, 155 are now serving in the Russian army, cited Airforce Technology.

The helicopter is fast and agile in the air because of its two coaxial contra-rotation main rotors. Its armor is powerful enough to defend the aircraft from 23 mm in diameter bullets.

It has six wing-mounted hardpoints that allow it to carry a large number of advanced missiles.

Armed with The Kh-31 cruise missile, for example, it has a range of 800 miles and can also attack ships.

Ka-52 is armed with a 30 mm cannon and can carry up to 12 Vikhr anti-tank missiles with a range of 20 miles that can pierce up to 950mm and 1000mm of armor. Unguided rockets and Igla-V air-to-air missiles are also alternatives.

Which Is the More Dangerous One?

Both aircraft are exceptional helicopters that revolutionized their respective military departments. With its innovative features and sophisticated technologies, they set a new benchmark for attack helicopter efficiency and reliability.

The Apache is the most iconic attack helicopter of the United States Army, while the Russians' most iconic post-Cold War helicopter is the Ka-52.

Even though the Kamov is a very spectacular aircraft with many outstanding capabilities and weapons, the Apache comes out on top but not by much.

Alligator is equipped with modern systems that allow it to serve as the aerial command post for a group of helicopters, detecting targets and coordinating attack operations. However, the AH-64E, per Military Today, the most advanced variant of the AH-64, is the greatest in the game right now and has proven itself on the battlefield.

Now between the AH-64 Apache and Ka-52 Alligator in competition, the edge of the AH-64 to the Kamov Alligator is slight, though both have never really met on the battlefield.

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