Kamov Ka-27 / Ka-28 / Ka-31 Helix
Kamov · Anti-submarine warfare helicopter (Ka-27/Ka-28) · Russia · Cold War (1970–1991)
The Kamov Ka-27 / Ka-28 / Ka-29 / Ka-31 Helix is a Soviet and Russian family of twin-engine, coaxial-rotor naval helicopters from the Kamov Design Bureau (now Russian Helicopters JSC). First flown in 1973, the Ka-27 entered Soviet Naval Aviation service in 1981 as the Soviet and Russian Navy's principal shipboard helicopter. The family branches into the Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the Ka-28 export model, the Ka-29 assault transport / attack variant, the Ka-31 airborne early warning platform, and the Ka-32 commercial derivative. More than 270 Helix airframes have been built, and the type remains in active service with Russia, 12-plus foreign naval operators, and commercial fleets worldwide.
The Ka-27 measures roughly 38 ft (11.6 m) long with a 52-ft (15.9 m) coaxial main rotor system. Empty weight runs around 13,800 lb against a 26,000-lb maximum take-off weight. Power comes from two Klimov TV3-117V turboshafts at roughly 2,200 shp each — the same engines fitted to the Mi-24 and Mi-28. Top speed is around 174 mph, typical combat radius about 270 nmi, service ceiling 14,800 ft. The coaxial twin-rotor layout dispenses with a tail rotor, yielding a compact deck footprint critical for shipboard work. The cabin seats 14 troops plus 2 crew. The ASW Ka-27 carries sonobuoys, dipping sonar, and MAD; the post-2000 Ka-27M upgrade fitted a new mission-systems suite.
The family's core mission is naval aviation from Soviet and Russian Navy ships. Each variant takes a distinct role: the Ka-27 (Helix-A) handles anti-submarine warfare from frigates, destroyers, and aircraft carriers; the Ka-28 is the ASW export model for foreign navies; the Ka-29 (Helix-B) performs assault transport and attack work for Soviet Marines and ground operations; and the Ka-31 (Helix-D) delivers shipboard airborne early warning for the Russian Navy. Together the family gives Russian Naval Aviation a complete shipboard rotorcraft toolkit, mirroring the U.S. SH-60 / MH-60R / MH-60S Seahawk family in role and utility.
Helix airframes have been in continuous front-line service since 1981. Soviet and Russian naval operations have spanned multiple decades, and the type has flown over Syria from 2015 onward in Ka-27 ASW and Ka-29 assault-support roles aboard Russian vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, plus Ka-27 family sorties in the Russia-Ukraine war from 2022. The Ka-27M upgrade programme launched in 2014 has updated the surviving Russian Ka-27 fleet, with around 30 airframes brought to that standard. Russian Helicopters' Kumertau plant continues to build Ka-27M, Ka-29, and Ka-31 variants. Foreign operators include India (Ka-31 and Ka-28), China (Ka-31 and Ka-28), Algeria, Vietnam, Syria, and Yemen as a legacy user, among others past and present.
For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version
The Kamov Ka-27 Helix is a Soviet naval helicopter that uses the same coaxial rotor design as the Ka-50. Two main rotors stacked on top spin in opposite directions, so no tail rotor is needed. The Ka-27 first flew in 1973 and is the main Russian Navy helicopter today, flying from ships to hunt submarines and rescue sailors.
The Ka-27 has two Klimov TV3-117 engines, each making 2,200 horsepower. Top speed is 168 mph, faster than most cars on a highway. The helicopter is 38 feet long, smaller than a school bus. The coaxial design lets it fit in small ship hangars where tail-rotor helicopters would not.
Several Ka-27 versions exist. The Ka-27PL is the main submarine hunter, carrying torpedoes and sonar buoys. The Ka-29 is an armed troop carrier. The Ka-31 has a big radar that hangs down from under the body for spotting enemy ships and planes. The Ka-28 is an export version for India, China, Vietnam, and others.
About 280 Ka-27s and Ka-29s have been built since 1973. Russia keeps modernizing them with new electronics. The Ka-27 is one of the most-used Russian naval helicopters, with several countries still flying them. It is the main helicopter on most Russian and Indian warships.
Fun Facts
- The Ka-27 has two main rotors stacked on top of each other, with no tail rotor.
- Top speed is 168 mph, faster than most cars on a highway.
- About 280 Ka-27s and Ka-29s have been built since 1973.
- India, China, Vietnam, and other countries fly export Ka-28 versions.
- The Ka-31 version has a big radar that hangs below the body.
- The coaxial design lets the Ka-27 fit in tight ship hangars.
- Russia has been using and upgrading Ka-27s for over 50 years.
Kids’ Questions
Why no tail rotor?
The two main rotors spin in opposite directions, canceling each other's twisting force. So a tail rotor isn't needed. Without a tail rotor, the Ka-27 is shorter overall, fitting in small ship hangars. It also uses all the engine power for lift, not for spinning a tail rotor.
Why fly from ships?
Submarines are deadly to ships. Navies use helicopters to drop sonar buoys (microphones) into the water around the ship, listening for enemy submarines far away. If a submarine is found, the helicopter can drop torpedoes or depth charges to attack. Ka-27s fly from Russian and Indian destroyers, frigates, and cruisers to do this.
How is it like a Sikorsky Sea King?
Both are naval helicopters built in the 1960s-70s to hunt submarines from ships. The Sea King is bigger (76 feet long) and has the normal main-rotor-plus-tail-rotor layout. The Ka-27 is smaller (38 feet long) and uses two coaxial rotors instead. Both have similar weapons and sensors. The Sea King is more popular worldwide, while the Ka-27 is the standard in Russia and India.
Variants
- Ka-27 'Helix-A' (initial ASW, 1981)
- Original 1981 ASW variant. Roughly 120 delivered. Backbone of Soviet and Russian Naval Aviation ASW capability.
- Ka-28 (export ASW)
- Export version of the Ka-27. Around 40 delivered to foreign operators including China, India and Vietnam.
- Ka-29 'Helix-B' (assault transport / attack)
- Assault transport and attack variant. About 60 produced. Operated by the Soviet and Russian Marine Corps in shipboard and ground roles.
- Ka-31 'Helix-D' (AEW)
- Airborne early warning variant. Around 20 delivered: roughly 10 to Russia, 9 to India, 9 to China. Provides shipboard radar surveillance.
- Ka-32 (commercial)
- Civilian derivative. Operated worldwide for utility, heavy-lift and firefighting work.
- Ka-27M (upgrade, 2014+)
- Russian upgrade launched in 2014. New mission-systems suite and expanded sensor compatibility. Around 30 Ka-27s brought to Ka-27M standard.
Notable Operators
- Russian Naval Aviation
- Primary operator. Around 50 Ka-27 / Ka-27M / Ka-29 / Ka-31 in active service, flying from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and from destroyers, frigates and amphibious-assault ships.
- Indian Navy
- Major foreign operator. Roughly 17 Ka-28 and 9 Ka-31 in Indian Navy service, flying from INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant aircraft carriers.
- Chinese PLA Navy
- Major foreign operator. Around 24 Ka-28 and 9 Ka-31 with the PLA Navy, flying from the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian aircraft carriers.
- Other foreign operators
- Algeria, Vietnam, Syria, Yemen (legacy), Ethiopia (legacy) and Mozambique (legacy), among others. Foreign naval operators total more than 10 nations past and present.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why coaxial rotor for naval operations?
The coaxial layout suits shipboard work for three reasons. First, deleting the tail rotor yields a compact deck footprint — critical on small flight decks. Second, coaxial rotors offer steady hover for ASW work and rough-sea landings. Third, the configuration cuts acoustic signature, which helps when hunting submarines. The Ka-27 family and the sister Ka-32 line represent Kamov's long-running commitment to coaxial design for naval use, and the layout has proved well-matched to Russian Naval Aviation operations across diverse ship classes.
How does Ka-27 compare to Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk?
Different design philosophies, similar role. The Sikorsky SH-60 / MH-60R Seahawk uses a conventional single main rotor with tail rotor, twin engines, and a current-generation radar plus dipping sonar. The Ka-27 Helix-A uses coaxial twin rotors with twin engines and a more basic mission suite, refreshed in Ka-27M form. Both fly comparable shipboard ASW and utility missions. The MH-60R carries a more current avionics fit and a continuous upgrade path; the Ka-27 has seen fewer interim updates, with the Ka-27M now closing the gap. Each platform has served its navy well.
What is Ka-31 AEW?
The Ka-31 is the airborne early warning version. It carries a large folding rotodome beneath the fuselage that stows for normal handling and deploys for surveillance, housing the search radar. The result is a shipboard radar picket — comparable in role to the U.S. E-2 Hawkeye, though smaller in scale. Russian, Indian and Chinese navies all fly the Ka-31, which gives those fleets a carrier-strike-group AEW capability they would otherwise lack.
What is Ka-29 used for?
The Ka-29 is the assault transport and attack variant. It pairs troop carriage (16 troops in the cabin) with armament including rocket pods, guided missiles, gun pods and defensive weapons. The role parallels the Russian Mi-24 Hind but is tailored to shipboard work from Russian Navy amphibious-assault ships. Russian Marine Corps units and ground operations both use it. The Ka-29 combines troop transport and armed attack in a single airframe — a pairing Western navies usually split between a utility helicopter and a dedicated attack helicopter.
Sources
See Also
- Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk — U.S. equivalent shipboard naval helicopter
- Kamov Ka-52 Alligator — Sister Kamov coaxial-rotor attack helicopter
- Leonardo AW101 Merlin — European naval-aviation equivalent
- Northrop E-2D Advanced Hawkeye — Sister naval AEW platform (different airframe)