The Ka-60 has an estimated local military market of 200 units. The Ka-60 is to be used for aerial reconnaissance, for transporting air-assault forces, radio-electronic jamming, for special-operations missions and for various light-transport missions. Variations for foreign sale are expected. Manufacture is to take place at Ulan-Ude. The development of the helicopter was long. The program started in 1984, but the first prototype Ka-60-01 flew in December 1998, and the second in 2007. A civil version, the Ka-62, was initially proposed when the Ka-60 programme was launched, but no production followed owing to development problems with the Ka-60's Saturn RD-600V 1500 hp engines. Instead, an agreement was signed in April 2011 to use the Turbomeca Ardiden 3G turboshaft for a revised Ka-62. A five-bladed main rotor will be driven via a new transmission, while the helicopter will have a revised cabin with larger windows and new avionics. First flight of the Ka-62 was planned for May 2013, with certification in 2014. Four prototypes and an initial batch of 16 Ka-62s for the Russian Ministry of Defence were planned, with another 12 ordered by South American civilian customers. It has a fantail, a 30-minute run-dry gearbox by Zoerkler, and can operate on one engine up to 9,500 ft. Development of the Ka-62, with its western systems and powerplant, has been slow, and the helicopter made several turns over the tarmac on 28 April 2016. On 25 May 2017 it made its maiden flight proper, a 15-minute flight at a speed of up to 110 km/h. Russian certification was expected in 2018, with European EASA certification following in 2020.
Variants
;Ka-60: Basic multi-role model. ;Ka-60U: Training version. ;Ka-60K: Naval version. ;Ka-60R: Reconnaissance version. ;Ka-62: New version for the civilian market. It has a redesigned fuselage with a high degree of composites, a larger cabin than the earlier demonstrators and will be equipped with Turbomeca Ardiden 3G engines. ;Ka-64 Sky Horse: Western certified export version equipped with two General Electric T700/CT7 turboshaft engines and five-blade main rotor.
