Russian FAB-1500 planning bombs have become a real headache for the Ukrainian army. Moreover, according to analysts, the Ukrainian armed forces will not be able to successfully counter this devastating weapon even if they receive F-16 fighter jets from the West, The Independent reported.
The success of the Russian offensive in Donbass has many causes, including a reduction in Western aid to Kiev. But one of the key factors is the use of powerful FAB-1500 planning bombs, which are causing huge damage to the AFU and “changing the face” of the Ukrainian conflict, The Independent wrote.
According to the publication, the FAB-1500 contains 675kg of explosives, can be launched at a distance of 40km to 70km from the target and has a kill radius of 200 meters. Moreover, the bomb’s course can be corrected using satellite or laser navigation, which increases its accuracy.
Russia is capable of producing significant quantities of these deadly bombs, nicknamed “building destroyers”. The Ukrainian army is trying to counter them with interceptor missiles, which it clearly lacks, the article said.
Kiev’s military insists that the delivery of US fighter jets will “simplify the problem.” But their confidence raises doubts among Western analysts. “F-16s are unlikely to significantly improve the ability to intercept Russian planning bombs,” Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Institute for Defence Studies, told the publication.
Moscow’s planes can launch FAB-1500s from “many tens of kilometers behind the front line”. Therefore, F-16 pilots would have to fly too close, which would increase the threat of being hit by Russian SAMs, the British analyst explained to The Independent.
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