The Russian Ministry of Defense has released official footage showcasing Su-34 Fullback bombers undergoing preparations for combat sorties with modified FAB-500M-62 bombs featuring a kit with pop-out wings.
The Russian glide bomb, commonly referred to as the “Russian JDAM” (Joint Direct Attack Munition), is a modified bomb equipped with UMPK (Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii), which stands for unified gliding and correction module.
The Russian Armed Forces employ these modified bombs to target Ukrainian military assets from significant distances, mitigating the risk to aircraft within the range of Ukrainian air defense systems. While comparisons with the JDAM may have limitations, the integration of wings and a guidance system into a general-purpose bomb has become a formidable tool for Russian aerospace forces in the ongoing conflict, posing a serious challenge for Ukraine.
Russia officially acknowledged the use of such bombs in a communique on May 8, 2023, stating that “the Su-34 fighter-bomber with modular UMPK bombs struck the location of foreign mercenaries near the village of Ivanivka near Kharkiv.”
Although images of these bombs circulated on social media, the external appearance of UMPK kits had not been officially demonstrated until the recent release of footage.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian Su-24 and Su-34 combat aircraft equipped with UMPK-guided bombs can engage targets with high precision at distances of up to 50 km. These wing kits empower Russian aircraft to conduct indirect attack missions on targets that would otherwise pose a significant risk.
