The Russian Aerospace Forces can launch such bombs without entering the zone of destruction of the Ukrainian air defense The planning bombs used by the Russian army pose a serious threat to Ukraine, military analyst Alexander Kovalenko told Newsweek.
According to the expert, such bombs are dropped by Russian aircraft beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defense systems. However, Russia is not the only one who uses this type of ammunition. Ukraine also uses similar bombs on the battlefield.
The planning bombs used by Russia pose a great threat to Ukraine, writes the American edition of Newsweek.
The magazine notes that in recent weeks, the Russian military has increased the number of airstrikes in Ukraine, and many of them included the use of so-called "planning bombs".
In March, the press secretary of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ignat, stated that about 10 Russian Su-35 aircraft dropped 11 planning bombs over the Sumy region. The Kyiv Independent described the attack as "devastating," and Ignat called the use of planning bombs an "extremely big threat."
"Planning bombs can fly far away, and planes do not enter the zone of destruction of our air defense," the military noted.
What is a "planning bomb"
Planning bombs are standard bombs that have been modified using navigation systems connected to them. This modification allows the projectile to plan the flight path to the target.
Some planning bombs are initially manufactured with GPS, while others receive a navigation system after production.
Ukrainian military analyst Alexander Kovalenko, in an interview with Newsweek, said that the planning bombs pose a "serious threat" partly because the planes drop them from beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defense.
Another claimed advantage of this weapon is that it is cheaper to manufacture than more advanced Russian missiles, the newspaper notes.
"With these munitions, the Russians can hit a large number of targets at relatively low cost and ultimately inflict a lot of damage on their opponent," military expert Guy McCardle told Newsweek.
Ukraine also uses "smart" bombs
At the same time, Newsweek notes, the Russian military is not the only one who uses such weapons.
Earlier, the United States provided Ukraine with high-precision JDAM planning bombs, which are now used by the Ukrainian army in a limited mode. Such weapons are conventional bombs, retrofitted with an aerodynamic kit with GPS guidance to turn them into controlled "smart" bombs.
The publication claims that Ukraine used JDAM to attack Russian positions in Bakhmut on April 25. A video of the strike was posted online, and it shows how bombs destroy a multi-storey building.
"The explosion is large and, apparently, accurate, which indicates an air-delivered munition," Mark Kanchian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the publication. - Apparently, the USA sent a version of JDAM with an increased flight range. This means that the Ukrainian plane did not need to fly over the target."
Earlier, the media reported that Russia began using upgraded FAB-500M-62 bombs in Ukraine. These are high-explosive aircraft bombs, the model of which was developed back in the 1960s in the USSR, but equipped with a control unit, navigation system and wings.
As the MK edition noted, the Russian Aerospace Forces launch from 20 to 50 such bombs a day.
Newsweek notes that these types of bombs are becoming "an increasingly popular weapon in Russia's arsenal" and that some people believe that bombs have "the power to change the course of events on the battlefield."
Alice Andreeva
