Ka-52 Shot Down with Javelin: Marines Rewrite the Rules

On July 2, in the Berdyansk direction, Ukrainian marines achieved a remarkable feat. A Ka-52 shot down with Javelin demonstrated the flexibility of the American anti-tank missile in a new role.

The Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter flew at low altitude while trying to avoid air defenses.

This marks the first time a Javelin has ever destroyed an aerial target. And once again, the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain world champions in shooting down helicopters with anti-tank weapons.

Another Helicopter Downed

Ukrainian defenders downed yet another — the 309th helicopter of the Pidars* so far. But the highlight of this episode is that the target fell to a Javelin. The brigade’s press service reported on Facebook:

In the Berdyansk direction, the brigade’s anti-tank unit burned down an expensive Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter using a Javelin ATGM.

Valerii Shershen, spokesperson for the Joint Press Center of the Defense Forces in the Tavria direction, said that the Russian Ka-52 reconnaissance and attack helicopter was shot down by a marine with the call sign “Mayak” — commander of a mobile anti-tank team of the 36th Marine Brigade:

The incident took place on July 2 in the Berdyansk sector. The “Alligator” was flying at an extremely low altitude, trying to hide from air defense systems. The officer spotted the target, aimed a handheld American Javelin launcher, and made a precise hit. Earlier, this young officer proved himself as a skilled gunner in the Avdiivka area, with five destroyed enemy armored vehicles on his record.

First Publicly Confirmed Javelin Helicopter Kill

This is the first publicly confirmed case of a helicopter destroyed by a U.S. Javelin ATGM — and one of the very few worldwide where a helicopter fell to an anti-tank missile.
But let’s recall: the first fully confirmed case of a helicopter destroyed in flight by an ATGM also belongs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces — that time using a Ukrainian-made “Stugna” system.

Even earlier, the Pidars’ helicopters also fell to Korsar ATGMs, but those were on the ground. So, in this case, the Javelin simply joined the club of anti-tank systems with confirmed helicopter kills.

Javelin’s Performance and Range Challenges

Ukrainian marines note that hitting a helicopter with a Javelin is not some miracle. Its infrared seeker can lock onto a helicopter’s heat signature in the sky even more easily than on a tank. In this case, a Ka-52 shot down with Javelin proves just how versatile the missile can be in skilled hands.

The real challenge is range — Javelin’s effective distance is about 2.5 km, while anti-air missiles operate around 5 km. That means this new line in the Javelin’s “service record” became possible thanks to the exceptional reflexes and skill of Ukraine’s marines.

*Pidar (pronounced “pidar”) – Ukrainian military slang for an enemy combatant. In radio communications, the word “Pidar” sounds shorter and clearer than “Enemy” especially under EW.