Russia appears to be using the latest missiles in its battle with Ukraine. The missile is the ‘Product 305’, Lightweight Multipurpose Guided Missile (LUMR). The Izdeliye 305E missile was first shown at the 2021 Army forum.
While the location of the test is unclear, one thing seems pretty clear it was used on Ukrainian targets. This missile is fired from a Ka 52M Alligator attack helicopter. Not only that, the missile can also be used on the Mi-28NM ‘Havoc’ helicopter along with other helicopters, airplanes, and even drones.
Quoted from the Eurasian Times, it is known that the missile has the ability to hit an invisible target using a homing head at a distance of 14.5 kilometers. The Izdeliye 305E missile is capable of carrying a warhead weighing up to 25 kilograms, aiming at targets with the possibility of a multimode electro-optical system.
The Izdeliye 305E missile has a mass of 105 kilograms, a length of almost 2 meters, and a body diameter of 200 mm and flies at a speed of 230 meters per second and can be launched from an altitude of 100 to 600 meters.
The Izdeliye 305E missile was first unveiled at the International Military Technical Forum Army 2021. It was developed by the Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (KBM, part of NPO High-Precision Weapons), part of the Rostec State Corporation.
KBM Deputy CEO Sergey Mikhailov said the Izdeliye 305E missile may be included in the armament of the Ka 52M and Mi-28NM export-oriented combat helicopters. This would radically increase their ability to fight against all kinds of targets on the battlefield.
According to him, the Izdeliye 305E missile is Russia’s first multipurpose weapon for helicopters. The Ka 52 itself is a helicopter that can also be used as a training aircraft.
Quoted from Hotcars, the Izdeliye 305E missile has a long nose and a two-seat cockpit with a side-by-side layout. Not only that, the special type of layout also makes helicopter controls much simpler during combat. The Alligator is also equipped with a TV3-117VMA turbo engine.
The helicopter features two contrarotating coaxial rotors which provide exceptional maneuverability. This makes the Ka 52 one of the most agile helicopters on the planet.
