Newest early warning radar-carrying helicopter Ka-35 authorized for service

The Russian Armed Forces have authorized for service the newest early warning radar-carrying helicopter Ka-35, a source in the defense-industrial complex has told TASS."The Ka-35 has passed all tests and has been authorized for service," the source said.

The source recalled the previous generation helicopter Ka-31, developed for performing early warning functions."It is a relatively old aircraft," he said. "It was developed a while ago for performing a number of roles, such as providing protection for project 1143 ships. It proved highly efficient in this capacity," he said.The Ka-31 designers coped with a number of complex technical problems, such as the presence of a large antenna rotating under the fuselage. These solutions proved very helpful in designing the Ka-35 which is equipped with a rotating laterally oriented antenna.