According to information published by China Arms on September 17, 2021, China signed a contract with Russia at Army 2021 Technology Forum to buy 36 Ka-52K Katran helicopters to equip the People's Liberation Army Navy.
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A model of Ka-52K at Moscou (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The Ka-52K Katran attack helicopter is a ship-based version of the baseline Ka-52. Unlike the baseline model, the Ka-52K has folding main rotor blades and folding stub wings. The helicopter has reinforced landing gear and can fire anti-ship missiles and a wide range of other guided and unguided air-launched weapons.
Similar to the land forces version, the Ka-52K is fitted with a GOES-451 optronic sensor under the nose and a 2A42 30-mm automatic cannon.
The reduced size of the Ka-52K ship-based helicopters allows for increasing the maximum number of helicopters placed on the ship. An armored cockpit and the use of a catapult system that is unique to the world helicopter industry provide the pilots with the maximum level of safety that cannot be provided by any foreign helicopter of this class.
The use of corrosion-resistant materials is another important feature of the Ka-52K, as the machine is to be operated in a wet maritime climate. The helicopter has a single-point fueling system and an upgraded air conditioning system which ensures ventilation of immersion suits of crew members.
