59th Assault Brigade downs Russian Ka-52 helicopter with General Cherry OPTIX FPV drone

In the Donetsk region, units of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems struck a Russian Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ helicopter using a fibre-optic FPV drone. The crew used a General Cherry OPTIX UAV, according to the manufacturer.

The helicopter was hit by pilots from the ‘Baltika’ crew of the 1st ‘Predators of Heights’ Battalion, part of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, near the village of Nadiivka in Donetsk region.

According to the manufacturer, the General Cherry OPTIX is available in three base configurations — with 10, 13 and 15-inch frames. The drones are equipped with fibre-optic spools of varying ranges: 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 km. This allows for different configurations depending on mission requirements, the company says.

The Ka-52 is a next-generation Russian reconnaissance and attack helicopter, a command aircraft of army aviation designed to destroy armoured vehicles, personnel and aerial targets. The estimated cost of an ‘Alligator’ is around $16 million.

UPD: Following publication of the Ka-52 downing, Defender Media received an exclusive comment from General Cherry regarding the fibre-optic components used in its General Cherry OPTIX drones.

The company says it had built up inventory in advance and diversified its supply chain to avoid shortages of fibre-optic products. The manufacturer now uses, among other sources, fibre-optic materials from Poland: “We order both ready-made spools and fibre-optic cable separately, which we wind onto coils of our own production.”

The General Cherry team deliberately sought European suppliers of fibre-optic materials to prevent supply disruptions and reduce dependence on Chinese components. “We are seeing an abnormal surge in demand for fibre-optic drones, indicating that other market players are unable to meet it,” the company said.