BEIJING, March 29. /TASS/. Russia’s large-scale use of aerial bombs fitted with universal gliding and correction modules will change the situation in the special military operation zone, Chinese aerial weapons expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Global Times newspaper.
"If the trend for Russia’s large-scale use of guided gliding bombs persists, they will become a game changer [shifting] the balance of power in the Russia-Ukraine conflict," he pointed out. According to the expert, the advantages of these weapons include their precision, long range and relatively low price.
Zhang added that the use of universal gliding and correction modules would allow the Russian military to fully unlock the potential of the FAB-3000 bomb that is being used in airstrikes aimed at destroying Ukrainian strongholds. Due to its design, the FAB-3000 bomb can be dropped only from directly above its target, which creates additional risks for the carrier aircraft, exposing it to enemy air defenses. This is why the Russian Aerospace Forces prefer to use less powerful FAB-1500 and FAB-1000 bombs, which are already equipped with universal gliding and correction modules that make it possible to use them beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defenses, the expert explained.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier on Friday that crews of Russia’s Su-34 fighter bombers had used aerial bombs with universal gliding and correction modules to strike a Ukrainian stronghold and troops in the south Donetsk area. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said earlier that the universal gliding and correction module for aerial bombs had proved effective over the course of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Universal gliding and correction module
Many armies currently have effective long-range anti-aircraft missile systems which pose a serious problem in terms of using cutting-edge bombers as carrier aircraft have to face great risks when dropping aerial bombs from directly above designated targets. Meanwhile, the mass use of high-precision long-range air-to-surface weapons is often impossible due to their high price and limited number.
Equipping free-falling bombs with wings and control systems was considered as a possible solution. As a result, engineers managed to create a high-precision weapon at a relatively low cost. Now, an aircraft carrying a bomb with the universal gliding and correction module can drop it several dozen kilometers outside the enemy’s air defense zone. After that, the bomb will be able to spread its folding wings to glide to the target, while satellite and inertial navigation systems will make it possible to correct its flight path.