The Russian Ka-31 Airborne early warning and control helicopter, with a unit price of about $23 million, is a powerful addition to Navy units. Ka-31 began to be put into operation in 1995, so far there are more than 35 aircraft in service with the Russian, Chinese and Indian Navy.The Kamov Joint Stock Company, began development of the Ka-31 medium-weight naval helicopter in 1980 and the first flight took place in 1987. At that time, the Soviet Navy wanted a stop-gap measure and began investigating viable platforms to act as AEW at sea.