Kamov Ka-50

Ka-50 "Black Shark" Ka-52 "Alligator"
Kamov Ka-50 of the Russian Air Force
Role	Attack helicopter,[1] scout helicopter[2] Type of aircraft
National origin	Soviet Union / Russia
Manufacturer	Kamov
First flight	Ka-50: 17 June 1982[3] Ka-52: 25 June 1997[4] Ka-52M: 9 January 2023[5][6]
Introduction	28 August 1995
Status	In service[7]
Primary users	Russian Aerospace Forces Russian Naval Aviation Egyptian Air Force
Produced	1990–present
Number built	Ka-50: 18–19[8] Ka-52: 196+[9]
Developed from	Kamov V-80

The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (Russian: Чёрная акула, romanized: Chyornaya akula, English: kitefin shark), NATO reporting name Hokum A, is a Soviet/Russian single-seat attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995. The Ka-50 is manufactured by the Progress company in Arsenyev. It is used as a heavily armed scout helicopter,^[2] and is notable for having a rescue ejection system, rare for helicopters.

During the late 1990s, Kamov and Israel Aerospace Industries developed a tandem-seat cockpit version, the Kamov Ka-50-2 "Erdogan" (Russian: Эрдоган, Turkish: Erdoğan), to compete in Turkey's attack helicopter competition. Kamov also designed another two-seat variant, the Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" (Russian: Аллигатор, NATO reporting name: Hokum B).^[10] The Ka-52's unit cost is US$16 million as of 2023.^[11]