About 190 Ka-32 family helicopters have been supplied to 20 countries around the world, where the aircraft are used, among other things, for extinguishing forest fires and working in urban areas. This was announced by Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Gennady Abramenkov.
The Ka-32 belongs to medium multi-purpose helicopters and features a coaxial rotor system. Two rotors rotate in opposite directions, so the aircraft does not require a tail rotor. This configuration helps the helicopter maintain stability while hovering and maneuver in confined spaces.
These very qualities proved to be in demand in the fire-fighting versions of the Ka-32. The helicopter can operate both over forest areas and near high-rise buildings, where precise positioning near the fire source is required.
For firefighting, the Ka-32 is equipped with special equipment. In particular, the aircraft can use a water-dumping device or a suspended tank for water discharge. The modernized Ka-32A11M is equipped with the SP-32 firefighting system, capable of collecting up to 4 tons of water in less than a minute. Up to 400 liters of fire-fighting foam can also be transported in a single sortie.
The Ka-32 has long been used not only by Russian services. Rostec previously reported that helicopters of this family are operated in Korea, China, Switzerland, Japan, and other countries. In 2025, the corporation indicated that Ka-32 fire-fighting helicopters are used in more than 20 countries.