Russian Helicopter Progression

[sgtmike74]

I've really been enjoying the Hind a lot, these pass few days.  What has stood out to me is the difference and progression Russia had made between our Hind and the KA-50.  Where the Hind uses gyros and doppler radar to present a quasi moving map (not really) the KA-50 had CRT, with embedded GPS data. Hind's use of it's sensors to give a CCIP of weapons is fairly accurate, where as the Shark is using lasing and head tracking technologies for its solutions.  I'm just curious on what triggers the development of these subsystems, whenever they are building their next generation of machines and how much were influence by the threat of US developments. 

 

Any prior CCCP weapons designers out there?

[bmbpdk]

Weapons development is a symbiosis, a kind of "agreement", between the opposing forces.
All military is useless if one have no enemy, no enemy = no point of ones existence, therefore all military have a interest in having a enemy, although a completely controlled enemy, a enemy who dare not to threaten one but one enemy that also slowly advances, so ones reason for being and receive continuos funding is secured.
Look through history: When ones enemy is beaten or fades, military funding is dramatically cut back, then a enemy is found or made and voila, billions and billions are released and military development takes giants leaps forward and then becomes powerfull enough to affect politics and choose which hands to "feed" them.
And dont forget that anything that can take the stress and workload of a pilot or soldier, and make said more effective, is, depending on how you look at it, money well spend.
Some spendings that is in the interest of "national security" and "classified" dont have to be accounted for to the public, opening new doors for many "industries" and "career paths".

Its much like the tech industry: Apple needs Android, Intel needs AMD and vice versa, they are fierce enemys, but each one knows that they need each other so they have a reason for further development and funding. 
Perhaps thats why Microsoft helped out Apple with 150mill USD back when Jobs left Apple.
People said it was stupid of Microsoft helping an enemy, but was it really?
Ill bet you that Gates got those 150mill back several times by now, one way or another.

With the tech industry being so big and every one so addicted to their cellphone, no one cares if 100 million USD in the entire industry goes into private pockets or funding "private projects", and its no different in the defence industry, same wine on new bottles.

Never kill your golden goose.