Russian forces receive upgraded version of high-explosive FAB bombs

The Russian Aerospace Forces started receiving upgraded versions of the renowned FAB high-explosive bomb. The newly upgraded bombs will be able to fly to the Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

Photo: vitalykuzmin.net by Кузьмин Виталий, CC BY-SA 4.0

The bombs were upgraded on the basis of old bombs for the decommissioned MiG-25RB fighter jet. They now feature enlarged wings and improved aerodynamic performance. The new bombs will be able to cover distances of up to 78-85 km. The flight range of the lightest FAB-500 currently reaches 50-60 kilometers, but it will now be 25 percent longer.

Bomber aircraft will thus be able to drop FAB bombs further from combat lines without falling into the enemy air defense zone.

Details

The FAB-500 is a Soviet-designed 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead, primarily used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, former Soviet republics and customer countries. The original M-54 model was rolled out in 1954, shaped for internal carriage by heavy bombers, a low-drag M-62 version in 1962 was intended for fighter bomber external hardpoint carriage. Early models were unguided, with a single nose fuze, and compatible with most models of Soviet aircraft. The latest variants of the FAB-500 bomb use the UMPK, a winged system developed after 2022 Ukraine war, for precision satellite guidance and increased stand-off distance.