Copy or innovation? Speculation grows around Ukraine’s new smart bomb
Footage taken from a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet features a Su-24 bomber carrying a prototype of a glide bomb under its wing.
Ukraine claims to have developed its own precision-guided glide bomb, potentially aiming to target strategic sites within Russia. Preliminary insights suggest that the bomb is equipped with a rocket motor and deployable wings, potentially granting it a 65 km range. However, concrete details remain sparse. Military experts are attempting to decode the nature of the bomb carried by the Ukrainian Su-24, as reported by Forbes.
Russian military aircraft reportedly drop up to 100 glide bombs daily on Ukrainian forces and urban areas. These Russian bombs, with a range of 40 km and some weighing up to three tons, have become one of the most destructive weapons in the 30-month-long Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine is now gearing up for retaliation with its own glide bombs. Recent video footage from a Su-27's crew revealed a Su-24 bomber armed with a new prototype glide munition.
Facing a shortage of American JDAM-ER and French Hammer glide bombs, Ukraine has begun developing its own arsenal. In June, Ukrainian Air Force Chief Sergey Golubtsov announced the development of a conversion kit to turn Soviet-era unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions. The test flight involving the Su-24 marked a significant milestone in this weapon's development.
Outfitted with wings and a tail-mounted rocket motor, the GPS-guided bomb bears a striking resemblance to the French Hammer. Military experts speculate that Ukrainians may have mirrored the French design.
French Hammer bombs have pleased the Ukrainian Air Force with their range and accuracy but have been received in insufficient quantities. France has pledged to supply 50 Hammers per month — far too few to counter the roughly 3,000 KABs that Russia drops along the 1127-kilometer front line each month, even when considering the JDAM-ERs received from the United States.
Should Ukraine manage local production of its new bomb, it could potentially counter Russia’s glide bombing campaign. This new weapon would join Ukraine’s expanding arsenal of homegrown munitions, including the Neptune cruise missile, the new "rocket drone" Polyanytsia, and various assault drones, including at least two models of a sports drone capable of carrying explosives over a thousand miles.
By developing indigenous precision munitions, Ukraine reduces its reliance on inconsistent allies for critical military capabilities. Domestic production also provides a workaround for the limitations set by allies on how and where Ukraine can deploy foreign-made munitions. Notably, the U.S. prohibits Ukraine from targeting Russian territory with U.S.-supplied precision ballistic missiles, despite these targets including airbases hosting Russian bombers.
The current status of Ukraine’s precision glide bomb development remains unclear. Ultimately, Ukrainian Su-24, Su-27, and MiG-29 aircraft, now fitted with JDAM-ERs and Hammers, might also deploy this new Ukrainian bomb.
Previously, analysts speculated that the new Ukrainian bomb could incorporate a Soviet-era warhead from Ukrainian stockpiles or an American MK.82/83 warhead with a Ukrainian-designed glide and guidance system.