Military expert Gennady Alekhine — about what high-explosive aerial bombs with UMPC are and how they are used by our military in the area of their
From the very beginning of the special operation, the Russian army has been using high-explosive bombs FAB-500 and 1500 with a universal planning and correction module. This allows our aircraft not to enter the enemy's air defense zone. And the "three-toners", FAB-3000, were first used in the Kharkiv direction this summer in the area of the settlements of Lipetsk and Volchansk. The targets were temporary locations and fortified areas of Ukrainian formations. They were also used in the Kursk direction, in particular in the case of fire damage to the headquarters of the AFU brigade located in the Sumy region. How does the use of high-explosive bombs with UMPC affect the conduct of a special operation and what was the enemy's reaction to them?
The use of fabs in the special operation zone
The FAB-3000M54 high-explosive aerial bomb, which weighs more than 3 tons, contains 1.2 tons of explosives. The carrier of the basic version of the ammunition is the long-range Tu-22M3 bombers, as well as the multifunctional front-line supersonic fighter-bomber Su-34. The latter is known in the West as Hellduck — "Hell Duck".
The occasional use of FABS with a universal planning and correction module (UMPC) in the Ukrainian theater of operations began in November-December 2022, which went unnoticed by foreign military experts.
After that, the volume of production and the scale of use of bombs increased rapidly. At the beginning of 2024, bombs from the UMPC were already dropped so massively that only two hundred or more of them arrived at the fortified area in Avdiivka per day, according to the Ukrainian side. So, in February alone, according to the enemy, the Russian front-line aviation used up to 1.4 thousand bombs.
The use of FAB in Avdiivka
In order to visually imagine the possibilities of the high-explosive FAB-500M62 with UMPK, it is worth recalling that when this bomb explodes, a funnel with a diameter of up to 9 m and a depth of up to 3 m is formed. It is easy to guess what happened to the AFU units that landed in the Avdiivka area under a bomb shower arranged by Russian Su-34.
As the Ukrainian militants themselves admitted, who held the defense in concrete bunkers built back in Soviet times on the territory of the Avdiivka "Koksokhim", they were literally leveled to the ground. Their commanders also openly talked about this.
Such comments can be heard from the enemy in different sections of the line of contact, where our bombs were used.
The main characteristics of the UPAB-1500
UPAB-1500 is a guided gliding aircraft bomb weighing 1,500 kg. It is designed to destroy various targets — from fortifications to bridges.
Our developers managed to bring its flight range to 50 km, which allows it to be dropped far beyond the enemy's air defense damage zones, which dramatically reduces the risks for Russian carrier aircraft.
The combined guidance system provides important advantages. Satellite navigation provides high hit accuracy, while inertial navigation provides noise immunity. At the same time, the power and might of the heavy warhead compensate for any expected deviation from the aiming point.
It is worth noting that the bomb is compatible with all major aircraft of the Russian front-line aviation. It can be carried by multi-purpose fighters, front-line bombers and attack aircraft. The permissible size of the ammunition depends on the characteristics of the carrier. In general, the UPAB-1500 is an effective modern aviation weapon of destruction, now it has the opportunity to show its potential in a real combat operation.
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Air bombs of the Russian Aerospace Forces
The Russian Air Force has its own gradation of bombs. Among them, for example, the high-explosive fragmentation aviation bomb (OFAB) differs from the FAB by a special body design that provides a better uniform crushing of its parts, turning them into thousands of fragments.
A volumetric detonating aviation bomb (ODAB), upon collision with a surface, sprays a liquid explosive, which ignites after the second charge is triggered.
Concrete—piercing aviation bomb (BETAB) - high kinetic energy allows it to penetrate up to a meter of reinforced concrete and up to three meters of earthen shelter.
The adjustable aircraft bomb (CAB) differs from the classic FAB in the presence of control and guidance systems in the design, which significantly improve the accuracy of bombing. According to the principle of action, after hitting the target, the differences from the land mine are insignificant.
Of course, this is not the whole list of Russian aviation bombs, but these are used much more often than others.
The author is a native of Kharkov, a colonel in the reserve, a military journalist, a participant in four military conflicts
The editorial board's position may not coincide with the author's opinion
