​Careless MLRS Shootings Threaten russian Helicopters With Friendly Fire, At Least One Ka-52 Reported Down

Coordination between tactical aviation and the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) teams on the frontline faces problems. This became known from a post by a russian military blogger in his Telegram community named Voevoda Veshchaet.

A photo published by this blogger shows a russian army's Ka-52 attack helicopter flying close to an allied MLRS. Disregarding the rotorcraft passing by, the rocket artillery team opened fire, almost knocking down the helicopter.

Read more: ​Unmanned Aerial Warfare: Ukrainian FPV Drones Take Down a Zala and Orlan-10

They also claim that since February 2022, at least one Ka-52 was hit by a rocket fired from an Uragan MLRS, killing the pilots. However, there's no visual evidence or credible records of any russian aircraft lost to their own rocket artillery.

While such situations involving MLRS fire are relatively rare, aviation losses due to the friendly fire caused by russian air defense are much higher, the blogger notes. Especially infamous are Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun systems, with at least two Ka-52s, one Ka-29, and one Mi-28 combat helicopter destroyed because of miscoordination.

Artillery rockets are not the only "unconventional" threat that russian helicopter pilots need to be wary of. Back in 2022, Defense Express covered an unprecedented hit landed on a russian Ka-52 by Ukrainian operators of the Stuhna-P (export name Skif) anti-tank guided missile, followed by another one the same week. American FGM-148 Javelin ATGM joined the ranks of improvised anti-air missiles by downing a Ka-52 in summer 2023.

Read more: "Meet the Ukrainian Missile Operator Who Took Down Ka-52 Helicopter with a Javelin"

Another noteworthy case is the attempt to strike a Ka-52 with an FPV drone in September 2023. The primitive explosive copter deployed by Magyar's Birds air reconnaissance unit, ten times smaller than the russian rotorcraft, barely missed its target flying by.

Just a few days ago, the Wild Hornets drone-making community published a video showing a Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the BULAVA unit trying to land a successful hit on a Mi-24 this time, yet failed, too. The community commented, "It's okay, next time we'll get him (the Mi-24 pilot - ed.)"

Read more: ​Ukraine's Biggest FPV Drone, the Hornet Queen, Revealed: Bomber, Kamikaze, Minelayer, Mothership