The Ka-50, alternately designated as the V-80, is a heavy attack helicopter featured in both ArmA: Cold War Assault and ArmA: Armed Assault.
ArmA: Cold War Assault[]
The Ka-50 is used exclusively by Soviet military forces in ArmA: Cold War Assault.
Overview[]
- Role:
- Heavy gunship
Design[]
The Ka-50 (NATO reporting name: Hokum) is an all-weather, heavily armoured and high-performance attack helicopter that combines survivability and firepower.
Armament
It is armed with a single, forward-facing 30 mm autocannon fixed to the right side of the fuselage. The Ka-50 also carries a mixture of air-to-ground anti-tank guided missiles along with 57 mm rocket pods on both of its stub wings.[CWACfgV 4]
The 30 mm cannon can swap between high-explosive (HE) or armour-piercing (AP) type shells. Each shell type is split into 250-round "magazines" for a combined pool of 500 shells.[CWACfgW 1][CWACfgW 2] On the other hand, the stub wings carry twin rocket pods loaded with up to 40 rockets (each pod contains 20 rockets)[CWACfgW 3] and up to 12 AT-6 missiles.[CWACfgW 4]
Features
One of the Soviet Union's most advanced helicopters, the Ka-50 is formidable aircraft that is directly comparable, if not superior, to both the Soviet military's own Mi-24 gunship and the U.S. AH-64.
Intended to cut through swathes of enemy armour and other low-flying aircraft head on, the Ka-50 packs a diverse array of munitions to tackle both threats. The 30 mm cannon for instance, is able to switch between HE or AP munitions for use against either light armour, other helicopters, or tanks.[CWACfgW 5] If the cannon is unable destroy a target, then the Ka-50's missiles and rockets certainly will. Both stub wings carry plentiful amounts of both ordnance type, and unlike the AH-64, the Ka-50 carries 40% more ATGMs.
The Ka-50 is also unique for being the only helicopter that does not require a gunner to operate, as everything including both armament and flight is controlled by the pilot.
Drawbacks
Consequently, this does mean that the Ka-50 faces one major drawback: namely, that the pilot must concentrate on both flying the aircraft (avoiding collisions) and remaining alert for enemies. This places a lot of strain on the pilot as they are only able to engage targets that they can see and won't have a second pair of eyes to assist in locating threats.
In addition, because the 30 mm cannon is slaved to the right side of the fuselage, it lacks a rotatable turret like the AH-64. This means that the pilot must rotate in mid-air every time in order to engage a target that it isn't already facing.
Crew Capacity
The Ka-50 only has a single seat the pilot who also doubles as the helicopter's gunner. It is unable to transport any passengers or extra crew.
Protection[]
The Ka-50 has 150 points worth of armour plating.[CWACfgV 5]
Armament[]
The pilot controls all three weapon systems on the Ka-50:[CWACfgV 4]
Cannon 30 mm[]

Ammo parameter | HE | AP |
---|---|---|
Base damage value | 20[CWACfgA 1] | 90[CWACfgA 2] |
Splash damage value | 10[CWACfgA 3] | 5[CWACfgA 4] |
Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 1,000[CWACfgW 6] | 1,000[CWACfgW 7] |
General-purpose 30 mm autocannon. Can load either HE or AP-type shells:
- High-Explosive (HE): Blast radius of 3 metres.[CWACfgA 5]
- Armour Piercing (AP): Spill radius of 1 metre.[CWACfgA 6]
Regardless of munition type, the Cannon 30 mm can attain a fire rate of up to ~ 333 rounds per minute[CWACfgW 8][CWACfgW 9][Formula 1] and has a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s.[CWACfgW 6][CWACfgW 7] Accuracy-wise, the Cannon 30 mm has a dispersion spread of 0.002 rad.[CWACfgW 10] There is no delay for swapping between munition types as the process is instantaneous.[CWACfgW 11]
It should be noted that the Cannon 30 mm only allows for its elevation (maximum of 10 degrees)[CWACfgV 6] and depression (maximum of 45 degrees)[CWACfgV 7] to be adjusted. It is not possible to change the turret's horizontal rotation.
AT-6[]

Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 750[CWACfgA 7] |
Splash damage value | 350[CWACfgA 8] |
Blast radius (metres) | 2.5[CWACfgA 9] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 30[CWACfgW 12] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 200[CWACfgA 10] |
Infrared-guided air-to-ground anti-tank missile.[CWACfgA 11]
AT-6 missiles are always fired with an initial launch velocity of 30 m/s.[CWACfgW 12] There is a forced delay of 0.5 seconds in-between launches.[CWACfgW 13] The missiles need at least 5.5 seconds[CWACfgA 12] to reach a top speed of 200 m/s.[CWACfgA 10] The warheads have a blast radius of 2.5 metres.[CWACfgA 9]
57 mm Rocket[]

Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 400[CWACfgA 13] |
Splash damage value | 250[CWACfgA 14] |
Blast radius (metres) | 2.5[CWACfgA 15] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 44[CWACfgW 14] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 1,000[CWACfgA 16] |
Unguided air-to-ground rockets.
Rockets can be fired once every 0.1 seconds.[CWACfgW 15] They are always launched with an initial velocity of 44 m/s[CWACfgW 14] and take a further 3.5 seconds[CWACfgA 17] to reach a top speed of 1,000 m/s in-flight.[CWACfgA 16] The warheads have a blast radius of 3 metres.[CWACfgA 15]
Optics[]
Pilot[]

The pilot can switch to the observation camera mounted above the helicopter's nose. It retains variable zoom capability, allowing for a minimum magnification of 0.33x[CWACfgV 8][Formula 2] up to a maximum of 4x.[CWACfgV 9][Formula 3]
It is possible for the pilot to wear their own night vision goggles while looking through the camera.
AI[]
NOTE: The following information only applies to the AI.
Camouflage rating[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
The Ka-50 has a camouflage[1] rating of 2.[CWACfgV 10]
Cost[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
The Ka-50 has a cost[2] value of 4000000.[CWACfgV 11]
Threat values[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
The Ka-50 is considered to be a medium threat[3] to AI-controlled infantry units (0.6). However, ground vehicles consider it to be an extremely dangerous threat and will attempt to prioritise attacking/fleeing from it if possible (1).[CWACfgV 12]
Other aircraft consider the Ka-50 to be a dangerous threat and will similarly attempt to attack it if they are given the opportunity to do so (0.8).[CWACfgV 12]
Noise factor[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
The Ka-50 has an audible[4] factor of 10.[CWACfgV 13]
Trivia[]
- The Ka-50's appearance in Cold War Assault is highly anachronistic as the first prototypes of the Ka-50, the Kamov "V-80" (which the in-game model is based on) only underwent testing in 1982, the same year that the events of the Resistance campaign unfold.[5]
- Furthermore, very few of the initial production models of the Ka-50 were actually made before the Soviet Union's collapse. Subsequent variants of the Ka-50 would not be accepted for service until 1995; not with the Soviet military but with its successor, the Russian Armed Forces.[6]
- It was not actually included as part of the default set of helicopters that could be piloted in Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (the initial release name of Cold War Assault), and was only added with the release of the Resistance expansion pack.[7]
- The Ka-50 was the first attack helicopter in the entire series to feature just a single seat for a pilot who doubles as the gunner.
Gallery[]
ArmA: Armed Assault[]
The KA-50 is used exclusively by the SLA in ArmA: Armed Assault.
Overview[]
- Role:
- Heavy gunship
« | A fine counterpoint to the AH-1 or AH-64, the Ka-50 Hokum helicopter is designed to engage armored and soft-skinned vehicles and low-altitude aerial targets. The Hokum is a very capable attack helicopter due to its high agility, survivability and powerful armament. The Ka-50 is the world’s first helicopter equipped with an emergency escape system able to safely eject the pilot in flight. Library Description[8]
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Design[]
Returning in Armed Assault, the KA-50 now serves as the primary attack helicopter of the SLA.
Armament
It is still armed with a forward-facing 30 mm autocannon as well as ATGMs and 80 mm rocket pods fitted onto the stub wings on either side of the airframe.[A1CfgV 4]
The 2A42 autocannon can switch between firing regular armour-piercing or high-explosive shells, though the "magazines" for both have been reduced to only 230 rounds apiece (for a combined total of 460 shells). Up to 12 infrared-guided/SACLOS-enabled anti-tank missiles are also carried on both wings. Its twin rocket pods on the other hand, have been replaced with larger rockets that are now fitted with 80 mm warheads, though the pods still contain 20 rockets each for a combined total of 40 rockets.[A1CfgV 5]
Features
Heavily-armoured, the KA-50 is much more durable compared to the American AH-1Z and packs four extra ATGMs in addition to unguided rocket pods.
With a powerful main weapon (30 mm autocannon versus the AH-1Z's 20 mm Gatling), the KA-50 can easily cut through heavily armoured ground vehicles while also posing as a dangerous air-to-air threat to other attack helicopters and low-flying jets.
Drawbacks
As in Cold War Assault, the KA-50 is only piloted by a single crewman. This places a heavier strain on the pilot's focus, as they must be on the lookout for both ground and air threats simultaneously while operating the helicopter.
Crew Capacity
The KA-50 contains a single seat for the pilot who also functions as the helicopter's gunner. It is unable to transport any additional crewmen or passengers.
Protection[]
The KA-50 has a base armour value of 70.[A1CfgV 6]
Hull[]
The KA-50's hull can withstand up to 70 points of damage.[A1CfgV 7][Formula 4] Depletion of the hull's integrity will instantly result in the helicopter's destruction.[A1CfgV 8]
Engine[]
The KA-50's engines can only take a maximum of 17.5 points of damage before they begin to fail.[A1CfgV 9][Formula 5] 100% of incoming damage to the engines will always be shared with the KA-50's main "health" pool. The KA-50 can outright explode if the engines are destroyed while the helicopter is at or near critical "health" status.[A1CfgV 10]
Instruments[]
The KA-50's onboard systems can take up to 10.5 points of damage before they suffer from failure.[A1CfgV 11][Formula 6] Damage inflicted upon the KA-50's instruments is not shared with the helicopter's main "health" pool.[A1CfgV 12]
Main rotors[]
The KA-50's coaxial rotors are able to withstand up to 21 points of damage before they break.[A1CfgV 13][Formula 7] No damage inflicted upon the rotors is shared with helicopter's main "health" pool.[A1CfgV 14]
Armament[]
NOTE: For specifics on the 2A42's munitions, see its related section listed here.
The pilot exclusively controls all weapon systems on the Ka-50:[A1CfgV 4]
2A42[]

General-purpose 30 mm autocannon. Can fire either HE or AP-type shells.
The 2A42 can switch between two fire modes:
- LOW: Can attain a fire rate of up to 375 RPM.[A1CfgW 1][Formula 8] Fires only one shell per burst.[A1CfgW 2]
- HIGH: Can attain a fire rate of up to ~ 3,157 RPM.[A1CfgW 3][Formula 9] Always fires shells in bursts of five per volley.[A1CfgW 4]
Regardless of fire mode, the 2A42's accuracy remains unchanged with a dispersion spread of 0.001 rad.[A1CfgW 5][A1CfgW 6] There is no delay for swapping between munition types.[A1CfgW 7]
VIKHR-1[]

Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 820[A1CfgA 1] |
Splash damage value | 20[A1CfgA 2] |
Warhead type | Armour Piercing + High-Explosive |
Blast radius (metres) | 2[A1CfgA 3] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 0[A1CfgM 1] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 425[A1CfgA 4] |
Infrared-guided, air-to-ground anti-tank missile.[A1CfgA 5] Can alternately be guided by SACLOS up to a maximum distance of 10,000 metres.[A1CfgA 6][A1CfgA 7]
There is a forced delay of 1 second in-between launches.[A1CfgW 8] VIKHR-1 missiles are always soft launched[A1CfgM 1] and require an additional 2.5 seconds[A1CfgA 8] of flight time for their motors to attain a top speed of 425 m/s.[A1CfgA 4] The missile's warhead has a blast radius of 2 metres.[A1CfgA 3]
80 mm Rocket[]

Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 210[A1CfgA 9] |
Splash damage value | 55[A1CfgA 10] |
Warhead type | High-Explosive |
Blast radius (metres) | 15[A1CfgA 11] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 44[A1CfgM 2] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 600[A1CfgA 12] |
Unguided air-to-ground 80 mm rockets.
The pods are capable of firing off one rocket every 0.2 seconds[A1CfgW 9] (300 RPM[Formula 10]). The rockets are fired with an initial velocity of 44 m/s[A1CfgM 2] but can attain a top speed of 600 m/s[A1CfgA 12] after only 0.2 seconds of flight time.[A1CfgA 13] The warhead has a blast radius of 15 metres.[A1CfgA 11]
Optics[]
Pilot[]

The pilot can switch to the observation camera mounted above the helicopter's nose. It retains variable zoom capability, allowing for a minimum magnification of 0.33x[A1CfgV 15][Formula 11] up to a maximum of 4x.[A1CfgV 16][Formula 12]
It is possible for the pilot to wear their own night vision goggles while looking through the camera.
AI[]
NOTE: The following information only applies to the AI.
Camouflage rating[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
The KA-50 has a camouflage[1] rating of 2.[A1CfgV 17]
Cost[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
The KA-50 has a cost[2] value of 4000000.[A1CfgV 18]
Threat values[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Targeting priority
The KA-50 is considered to be a medium threat[3] to AI-controlled infantry units (0.6). However, ground vehicles consider it to be an extremely dangerous threat and will attempt to prioritise attacking/fleeing from it if possible (1).[A1CfgV 19]
Other aircraft consider the KA-50 to be a dangerous threat and will similarly attempt to attack it if they are given the opportunity to do so (0.8).[A1CfgV 19]
Noise factor[]
- Main article: AI Basics: Detection
The KA-50 has an audible[4] factor of 40.[A1CfgV 20]
Trivia[]
- Initially, the proxy positions for the KA-50's missile/rocket pods were reversed and did not "launch" from the correct hardpoints (e.g. a VIKHR-1 fired from the right wing would actually originate from the left wing instead). This was eventually fixed following the release of Patch 1.06.[9]
- Just like in Cold War Assault, Armed Assault's KA-50 is still the only attack helicopter in the series thus far to feature just a single seat for the pilot.
Gallery[]
Config/script references[]
CfgAmmo (ArmA: Cold War Assault)
CfgWeapons (ArmA: Cold War Assault)
CfgVehicles (ArmA: Cold War Assault)
CfgAmmo (ArmA: Armed Assault)
CfgMagazines (ArmA: Armed Assault)CfgWeapons (ArmA: Armed Assault)
CfgVehicles (ArmA: Armed Assault)
Formulae
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Španěl, O, van 't Land, J.J. et al. 2006, CfgVehicles Config Reference, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 13 September 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/CfgVehicles_Config_Reference#camouflage>.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Španěl, O, van 't Land, J.J. et al. 2006, CfgVehicles Config Reference, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 13 September 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/CfgVehicles_Config_Reference#cost>.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Španěl, O, van 't Land, J.J. et al. 2006, CfgVehicles Config Reference, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 13 September 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/CfgVehicles_Config_Reference#threat>.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Španěl, O, van 't Land, J.J. et al. 2006, CfgVehicles Config Reference, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 13 September 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/CfgVehicles_Config_Reference#audible>.
- ↑ Operational Environment Enterprise 2019, Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum A) Russian Attack Helicopter, ODIN - OE Data Integration Network, viewed 21 June 2023, <https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG/Asset/Ka-50_Black_Shark_(Hokum_A)_Russian_Attack_Helicopter>.
- ↑ Army-technology.com 2000, Ka-50 Black Shark (Hokum) Attack Helicopter, Army-technology.com, viewed 21 June 2023, <https://www.army-technology.com/projects/ka50-black-shark/>.
- ↑ Revial, F et al. 2009, Operation Flashpoint: List of vehicles, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 5 July 2024, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Operation_Flashpoint:_List_of_vehicles>.
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2006, Vehicles, armedassault.com, viewed 26 March 2025, <http://web.archive.org/web/20071023002555/http://www.armedassault.com/vehicles.html>. (archived link)
- ↑ Španěl, M et al. 2007, ArmA: Armed Assault: Version History, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 21 June 2023, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA:_Armed_Assault:_Version_History#Version_1.06>.
External links[]
See also[]
Aircraft of comparable role and configuration[]
- AH-64 (Heavy U.S. counterpart, ArmA: CWA only)
- Ka-52 (Russian Armed Forces successor, ArmA 2 only)
- Mi-24 (Alternate Soviet counterpart, ArmA: CWA only)
Vehicles of ArmA: Cold War Assault | |
---|---|
Wheeled | Bike • BRDM • Bus • HMMWV • Motorcycle • PV3S • Jeep • SCUD • Skoda • Small car • Sports car • Trabant • Tractor • Truck 5T • UAZ • Ural |
Tracked | BMP-1 • BMP-2 • M1A1 • M113 (Vulcan) • M60A3 • M2A2 Bradley • Shilka • T-55 • T-72 • T-80 |
Rotor-wing | AH-1 Cobra • AH-64 • CH-47D • Ka-50 • Mi-17 • Mi-24 • OH-58 • UH-60 |
Fixed-wing | A-10 • Plane • Sopwith F.1 Camel • Su-25 |
Aquatic | Boat • LST • Mark II PBR |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |
![]() | |
---|---|
Wheeled | BRDM • SCUD* • UAZ • Ural |
Tracked | BMP-1 • BMP-2 • Shilka • T-72 • T-80 |
Rotor-wing | Ka-50 • Mi-17 • Mi-24 |
Fixed-wing | Sopwith F.1 Camel v2 • Su-25 |
Aquatic | Boat |
* not actually usable outside of cutscenes. |
Vehicles of ArmA: Armed Assault | |
---|---|
Wheeled | 5T Truck • Army 4x4 • Bus • BRDM-2 • Car • Hatchback • HMMWV (Civil) • Offroad (Hilux) • M1030 (TT650, TT650G) • Pick-Up (Datsun) • Sedan • Stryker • Tractor • UAZ • Ural |
Tracked | BMP-2 • M1A1 • M113 • Shilka • T-72 |
Rotor-wing | AH-6 • AH-1Z • KA-50 • MH-6 • Mi17 • UH-60 |
Fixed-wing | A-10 • AV-8B • Camel • DC-3 • Su-34 |
Aquatic | CRRC • PBX Boat • RHIB |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Queen's Gambit |
![]() | |
---|---|
Wheeled | BRDM-2 • TT650G • UAZ* • Ural* |
Tracked | BMP-2 • Shilka • T-72 |
Rotor-wing | KA-50 • Mi17 |
Fixed-wing | Camel • Su-34 |
Aquatic | PBX Boat |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. * denotes vehicles also used by the Resistance sub-faction. |