A video posted on Twitter on Mar. 17, 2022, shows an air-to-surface engagement by Russian helicopters in Ukraine, using an unusual method to employ unguided rockets. Rockets as such are not precision-guided weapons, especially in the setting we can see in the video.
The helicopters go into a shallow dive, then climb out and launch the rockets at the top of the parabolic arc of their flightpath, sending them downrange. This method, for once, gives the rockets a greater amount of energy at the very launch (as they are moving at the speed at which the launch platform is moving), but also extends the range, as they are launched upwards, and following a ballistic trajectory. The above means that the Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters here have become sort of airborne MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) launchers.
Russian KA-52 & MI-28 attack helicopters firing rockets in an unconventional way. By firing upwards they greatly extend their range but will have terrible accuracy. #Ukraine #Russia #UkraineWar pic.twitter.com/GLwDOh9vyY
— Global Conflicts (@Globe_conflicts) March 17, 2022