[bnralt]

KA-52 helicopters were considered to be a one of the big obstacles that Ukraine faced during their 2023 counteroffensive. "Military briefing: Russian ‘Alligators’ menace Ukraine’s counteroffensive"[1]:

> Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think-tank, said Russian helicopters fitted with anti-tank guided missiles “were always going to be a much greater threat to Ukrainian forces during a counteroffensive than during periods when Ukraine was defending against Russian attacks”.

> “They can hover, spot for targets and fire anti-tank guided missiles from beyond the range of shoulder-fired Manpads or anti-aircraft fire,” Bronk said.

[1] https://www.ft.com/content/d8fe8941-3703-433d-ac7a-dab9ba500...

[pas]

without air superiority both sides have extreme artillery dependence

[littlestymaar]

Yeah, attack helicopters means you have ATGMs with twice the range and very good optics for battlefield awareness. Sure manpads means it's difficult to use them over contested territory, but they are still very strong if you keep them on your side of the front.