Is Kyiv developing a glide bomb?
Unknown weapon spotted on Ukrainian fighter jet
09.09.2024, 19:30
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Russia fires up to a hundred glide bombs at targets in Ukraine every day. Now a video has surfaced showing a Ukrainian fighter plane with an unknown weapon. This may be the first glide bomb of its own production.
A video is currently circulating on social networks showing a Ukrainian fighter jet with an unknown weapon under its right wing. The almost one-minute clip shows a Su-24M aircraft in flight and was published over the weekend on a Telegram channel linked to the Ukrainian Air Force.
“The bomber is conducting a test flight to test a new guided bomb,” the channel wrote about the video. The weapon cannot be seen being fired in the recording. According to the information, the aircraft belongs to the seventh tactical air brigade of Ukraine, while the video is said to have been filmed in August from the cockpit of a two-seater Su-27.
According to the portal The War Zone (TWZ), the unknown weapon apparently consists of a three-part kit to convert an unguided free-fall bomb into precision-guided munitions. US JDAM bombs and French AA SM “Hammer” bombs, which work on a similar principle, are already in use in Ukraine.
According to TWZ, structural features on the tail, center section and nose suggest that the weapon could have a propulsion system, fold-out wings and a GPS system for navigation. At the beginning of June, A spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force said that Ukraine is developing its own system to transform its Soviet-era unguided bombs into precision munitions. However, as TWZ and Forbes magazine write, the weapon could also be a traditional cruise missile or even the recently introduced drone missile called Palianyzia.
The Russian Air Force fires up to a hundred glide bombs at Ukrainian troops and cities every day. With a range of up to 40 kilometers, the bombs are among Moscow’s most devastating weapons and are a decisive factor in Russia’s advance in the Donbass this year. A glide bomb of its own production should make Kiev less dependent on supplies from its allies. In addition, the new weapon would not be subject to restrictions from Western states, as is currently the case with some of the systems supplied.