Already this year, the Russian Armed Forces may receive a new aerial bomb. Yesterday, on May 11, the Interfax news agency reported that the Drill munition had successfully completed tests.
"The test results confirmed the combat effectiveness of the Drill aerial bomb. The purchases are planned in accordance with the state defense order for 2021 and for the planning period of 2022-2023," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said in an interview with Interfax.
Model of the "Drill" aerial bomb»
Image source: army-news.org
According to Borisov," Drill " will be armed with aircraft of operational and tactical aviation. The final development of a new planning aerial bomb was announced in 2016, and the tests were planned to be completed in 2018.
The full name of the munition is "planning bomb cluster PBK-500U with self-aiming combat elements SPBE-K "Drill". The bomb was developed by the NGO "Basalt" as a cheap version of high-precision weapons. According to the portal army-news.org, the development of the munition began in the 90s, later the project was frozen and re - "surfaced" in the middle of the last decade.
The bomb is designed to destroy armored vehicles, ground-based radar stations, control points of power plants and anti-aircraft missile systems. The length of the "Drill" — 3100 mm, diameter-450 mm, weight — 540 kg. After the discharge, the munition can plan to the target at a distance of about 30 km. When approaching, the cassette part opens, releasing 15 homing elements.
