Up to 40 litres of water per second are released by the Ka-32A1 during firefighting operations.

The Ka-32A1 is a specialised firefighting version of the Helix.

Different versions of the Helix are used to undertake specialist roles including aerial crane applications.

Spain's INAER operates a fleet of Ka-32A11BCs for firefighting operations.

Six Ka-32A11BCs are operated by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The Ka-32A11BC’s cockpit features digital avionics, one of the factors in this variant's certification in the West.