Rocket “Alligator” came down by itself
The Ka-52 is fired at the audience during exercises “West-2017”.
Today, the defense Ministry said that during the strategic exercises “Zapad-2017” September 18 no missile launches from the helicopter Ka-52 “alligator” not implemented: the messages in social networks about volleys at the group of journalists and a large number seriously wounded in a Ministry called “a deliberate provocation” or “somebody’s personal stupidity”. However, according to “Kommersant”, the incident really happened, and happened on September 16.
The Ka-52 there was a spontaneous gathering of unguided rockets s-8. As a result three people were lightly injured and two vehicles were damaged.
The first information about the incident appeared today in social networks, and then reported the news website of the city of Yekaterinburg 66.ru. Referring to the informed source, the publication said that “yesterday or the day before” at the site of the Luga near St. Petersburg occurred the involuntary start-up of rockets of class “air-ground” with the helicopter Ka-52. “They flew at the target, remained about 500 meters, on assignment to the combat path included chain weapons, they are included, but there is something shorted out and the rocket came down of themselves, — quotes the portal words of his companion.— The shrapnel dispersion is large, burned at least two cars, two people were seriously injured, now they are in the hospital. It was a training before the show. Suffered, most likely, the journalists.”
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In the defense Ministry, in turn, denied this information. “On 18 September, as part of the draw of the episode of practical actions of the joint strategic exercises “West-2017″ no accidents associated with the work of army aviation, was not, — said the press service of the Western military district (ZVO). All messages in social networks about volleys into the crowd of journalists, a large number of seriously wounded was a deliberate provocation or somebody’s personal stupidity”.
The Ministry also stressed that on the video, which is posted on the Internet, recorded the incident that happened at another time: that then the crews of helicopters within the flight and tactical exercises did this exercise for the defeat of ground targets.
However, as a confirmed “Kommersant” a source close to the headquarters of the aerospace defence forces, state of emergency on the Luga did take place and occurred two days before the visit to the landfill of President Vladimir Putin. The circumstances of the incident as follows: on 16 September at 14:00 Moscow time the pair helicopter Ka-52 Lieutenant Colonel Smakhtin (slave — Lieutenant Volochkov) performed a takeoff from an airfield Pushkin to perform a “test flight pair on the performance of firing tasks.”
At 14:47, after receiving permission, when you run the third time on the combat course at a height of 50 m and a speed of about 200 km/h when the main switch is turned to the weapons there was a spontaneous gathering of unguided rockets s-8 (led helicopter). After that, senior Lieutenant Volochkov reported the incident, stopped the task and landed at the airfield Pushkin. On the ground were slightly injured three people and damaged two cars.