BLUFOR was given multiple different kind helicopters while OPFOR got less.
The other helicopter what OPFOR got was fictional Mi-48 what flight modeling doesn't suit its design at all, as it is made as a slow and unresponsive attack helicopter what can carry a squad.
Suggestion is to give in future DLC/Updates a new pure attack helicopter for OPFOR what would make it more responsive complete attack from air.
{F22294}
BLUFOR has ghosthawk and blackfoot
OPFOR has orcas and kajman
GREENFOR has mohawk
and the kajman is far superior to the blackfoot as a ground attack helo
Both Blufor and Opfor require of new aircraft, it seems that 2 CAS aircrafts are coming, but nothing more. We should get some heavy vtol transport (Mv-22? V-280?) and a cargo vtol (C-130 vtol version, v-44 quad tiltrotor?).
apart form that as arziben have said they are practically balanced, despite that it's Opfor the one that has more options and advantages (Attack helicopter available to transport infantry while blufor's not, chopper has rockets while blufor's not etc...so maybe it's blufor the one that should get new aircraft, v-280 for example).
AH-9 is used for attack and it has just rockets and miniguns, more firepower than what the Orca has.
MH-9 is used for transporting over a squad (6+2).
Orca is more like MH-9 but with weapons for emergency defense.
Then there is AH-99 what is more than what the Mi-48 is. Guided rockets and autocannon, anti-air missiles and more agile and it is alone more effective than Mi-48 with its only benefit of its AT missiles what has just more penetration than AH-99 rockets but still not much.
BLUFOR has then ghosthawk what is a bonus.
OPFOR is missing one helicopter class totally and KA-56 would fit to that category.
yup, forgot the xh 9s
the orca and ah 9 have the same armament, the ah 9 has double the rockets which is fine since the orca has missiles
to compare the roles:
BLUFOR _ OPFOR
ah 9 _ orca
mh 9 _ orca (black)
ghosthawk _ mi 48 kajman
blackfoot _ mi 48 kajman
the "advantages" of the blackfoot over the kajman are easily counterable by the big hunk of armor and armament that this aircraft can provide
and no, ka 56/58 wouldn't fill the missing category since this category is transport helicopter which is currently filled by the multi role attack helicopter that the mi 48 is
also this game isn't supposed to be balanced (which bis seems to have forgotten) so it's normal AND fine that the number, type and role of vehicles in each faction is different
what I get from this ticket is that you want to have the mi 56/58 in game in which case you should make a "feature request" ticket
What we need is a massive transport helo for both blufor and opfor.
Chinook or Mohak for blufor and Mi8 or M17 for opfor properly modernized.
Why do you guys want each side to have the same vehicle classes? Variety is key. It is unlikely two major factions would have a counterpart for each vehicle they have.
PO-30 "Orca" is for transportation what has just small amount of unguided rockets and 6.5mm gatling gun (what has no use as it is too accurate and has too small caliber) and it is meant to be only for transportation and possibility to suppress enemy AA vehicle if suddenly such pops up front. There is a normal camo-variant and then there is black for "black-ops" missions.
Mi-48 "Kajman" is non-existing attack/transport helicopter what Kamov would never manufacture. Its main weapon is the 30mm gatling gun what is as well non-existent design. For secondary armament it has Scalpel unguided rockets (non-existent AFAIK) and Skyfire ATGM missiles.
Russia has abandoned the Mi-24 kind design where transport helicopter is used as attack helicopter. But for some reasons (probably because Mi-24 is so famous) BIS developers added a 8 person cargo space inside it. Mi-24 rarely fly with infantry inside and most times they are empty or on more un-common missions it is filled with extra-rockets and missiles for crew to load on mission area.
It as well includes a Kamov design contra-rotating rotor what gives better maneuverability, lift and speed than traditional rotor design with a tail rotor.
The picture in ticket is a illustration of the future Kamov design of Russia future helicopter plans, as Russia is focusing to update the helicopter fleet with newer doctrine in three steps. Finally transport helicopter is responsible for troop transportation and attack helicopter is responsible to support them.
The Mi-48 in game is clearly wanted to be Russian origin, but on 2035 Russia will have totally different plans than what Mi-48 presents.
It is not just about "game balance" that east side (OPFOR) needs a KA-56 kind helicopter by amounts, but because Mi-48 doesn't fit to future and its combination, even being interesting, is out of focus.
Even when today Kamov say they are searching contracts where buyer can have customization for helicopters, Mi-48 design just doesn't make a sense in current changes in doctrine on any east country.
The KA-56 would be a real attack helicopter on east side: Having a 16 Optically guided missiles (like Vikhr), 40x 80mm unguided rockets and 30mm autocannon (maybe dual) or 12.7mm gatling gun in rotating head and air/ground search radar top of the mast, pilots sitting side by side instead in tandem.
Mi-48 could be given even to independents if really a must.
If wanted to compare helicopters,
KA-56 would not be like AH-99 as it is not trying to be a "stealth helicopter" but a actual attack helicopter.
Even todays radar the AH-99 would shine on radar like Christmas tree in night. You can not hide the main rotor at all and even todays radars can pick up the air disturbances what rotors cause, so having a radar reflecting design and plating doesn't help against radars and you would need to counter them only by flying behind terrain and other objects what actually blocks the radar waves.
And KA-56 would not yet have a A-A missiles like what AH-99 has, while attaching a pair of IGLA-M to its wing tips wouldn't be bad addition ;)
"KA-56" would not make factions identical. It would make OPFOR more different from BLUFOR as it is focusing for attack power, while maintaining well the current roadmaps and designs.
The problem actually is currently in ground vehicles. Like BLUFOR has same turrets in many vehicles as OPFOR and same turrets are used then in many vehicles as well, what makes them very same kind. Even having a turret from Tunguska attached to OPFOR AA vehicle would have been more interesting than the current designs.
But mods will fix that probably fairly quickly. At least there is a change someone would present a new helicopters for both sides.