File image.
FAB-250 bombs in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have been upgraded to precision-guided munitions, TASS reported on May 3, citing an unnamed source in the Russian military-industrial complex.
The FAB-250 is a Soviet-designed 250-kilogram general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead. The Russian news agency said, citing its source, that the bomb was equipped with a wing kit and navigation system as a part of the upgrade.
“When it gets dropped from a warplane at a speed of 800-900 kilometers per hour, the [upgraded] bomb then glides for up to 80 kilometers,” the source said.
According to the source, upgraded FAB-250 bombs have been already used by Su-34 against Kiev forces in the framework of the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.
Russian specialists began working on “gliding and correction modules” for Soviet-designed unguided bombs last year. The low-cost precision-guided munitions are mainly meant for use in the special military operation zone. The first bomb to receive the upgrade was the 500-kilogram FAB-500.
The wing kit enables the bomb to glide for dozens of kilometers, while the GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system allows it to hit its designated target with high-precision.
Russian warplanes are reportedly firing dozens of these upgraded bombs at Kiev forces every day, without facing any risk from Ukrainian air defenses. A video that surfaced online on May 2 shows two recent strikes with these bombs on Kherson front.
The low cost, long range, precision and heavy fire power of the new precision-guided bombs provide the VKS with a major advantage.
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