I'm not going to give one straight vote for a couple of reasons. Firstly the Ka-52 is most definitely a very promising design, I'd prefer if it had an under-fuselage gun instead of the side-mounted arrangement it has currently no matter how good the manoeuvrability of the helicopter is. A GSh-301 or similar if it's maintaining Russian weapon systems would suffice. Secondly I think for a traditional gunship the AH-1 platform still offers a lot. Take the AH-1Z, give it an XM-188 (30mm x113 M197) or better yet a BK-27, as well as the change away from the M-197 I'd investigate the possibility of integrating Longbow or a LIDAR equivalent capable of working with Hellfire or Spike.
In summary:
A westernized Ka-52 or equivalent design
- RTM322 Mk.250 turboshafts replacing the Klimov TV-3s
- Under-fuselage 27mm/30mm cannon (BK-27, GIAT 30 etc) replacing the side mounted 2A42 for better azimuthal coverage
- Longer, fixed undercarriage to facilitate the new cannon
- BERP IV blades and western avionic systems
An 'Ultra Cobra'
- Keep the T700s that are on the AH-1Z either the same model or more powerful models depending on the customer's location
- Replace the M197 with something more accurate and harder hitting like a BK-27
- Integrate Spike-ER and Spike NLOS as an alternative to hellfire, ditto CRV7/CRV7 PG
- Mast mounted LIDAR / mmW fire control system like Longbow or a laser equivalent
- BERP IV blades again
And for a further wildcard, what about an export WZ-10 as a base airframe for you to upgrade like I did with Atlantia? If we're talking off-the-shelf helicopters with no mods to them from factory I'm liable to say the Apache, it's combat proven in numerous conflicts and should remain viable for some time.
~ Mark.