A convoy of Ka-52 attack helicopters provided fire support as troops advanced, employing the Whirlwind anti-tank missile system. The missiles destroyed enemy armor without entering the enemy air defense zone, at a distance exceeding seven kilometers. According to the Russian defense ministry, the range was described as one thousand meters in their report.
The Vikhr missile complex, also known in NATO nomenclature as Scallion or Green Onion, traces its origins to the 1980s as a weapon for attack aircraft and helicopters. It was not immediately added to serial production, though preparations continued over time. The first mass-produced version, the Vikhr-M, entered production in 2013. The project was carried out by the Izhevsk-based Kalashnikov Concern, with initial development carried out by the Tula-based NPO Precision. Public data indicate a contract valued at about 13 billion rubles, and the system has been in service with the Russian armed forces since 2015.
The anti-tank guided missile system targets armored vehicles and slower aerial platforms. Vikhr missiles can strike at ranges up to 10 kilometers and travel at speeds above 600 meters per second.
In April 2016, the Kalashnikov Concern’s chief executive noted ongoing production of guided missiles for Alexei Krivoruchko, who has served as Deputy Minister of Defense since 2018 and oversees military-technical support. The Hurricane system remains a key export and domestic component of the concern’s manufacturing portfolio.
In August 2021, Kalashnikov’s press service announced potential deployment of Vikhr-guided missiles on Orion-class unmanned aerial vehicles. The missiles exemplify a fire-and-forget approach: once a target is designated and the fire command issued, the missile proceeds autonomously to its objective. A military analyst described the system as capable of hitting a range of targets, including mobile ground or surface threats such as tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as helicopters or light aircraft. The combination of high speed, precision guidance, and autonomous targeting contributes to a reduced time on target and increased survivability for the launch platform.
Experts noted that a hallmark of Vikhr-M usage is the exceptionally short flight time of the supersonic missile and the control system’s strong resistance to interference. This resilience helps ensure mission success even in contested environments where electronic or optical disruption is present. The rapid strike capability also enables the engagement of multiple targets in a single pass, with automatic target tracking and laser beam control enhancing accuracy for reaching small, difficult-to-detect targets. Reports from defense personnel emphasize that the missiles are designed to overwhelm air-defense and missile-defense systems, often in scenarios where speed outpaces the defender’s response.
Analysts added that the Vikhr complex is not the sole option for Ka-52 attack helicopters. The aircraft can carry the standard 30-millimeter gun and can be configured with six hardpoints for unguided air-to-surface missiles, bombs, or various anti-tank munitions. The choice of armament depends on the mission profile, with Vikhr missiles selected for long-range strikes when precision is required—an approach that has been practiced in training and in real operations, including in Syria.
In May 2017, the Russian defense ministry released footage showing the destruction of Islamist equipment southeast of Palmyra. The scene depicted Ka-52 attack helicopters using the Vikhr complex to engage targets in that campaign, underscoring the interoperability between the aircraft, missiles, and real-world combat scenarios.