FAB-500

500 Kg unguided aerial bomb
FAB-500 M-62 General Purpose (GP) Bomb[1]
FAB-500 M-62 (nearest camera)
TypeUnguided general-purpose bomb
Place of originSoviet Union
Production history
Produced1954–present (M-54); 1962–present (M-62)
VariantsKAB-500 (guided bomb)
Specifications
Mass500 kilograms (1,100 lb)
Length2,470 millimetres (97.2 in)
Diameter400 millimetres (15.7 in)
FillingHigh explosive
Filling weight300 kilograms (660 lb)
FAB-500 M-54 (high-drag)
Up to eighteen M-54 bombs on two underwing pylons and internal bay of a Tu-22M

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.[2][3] The bomb is unguided, features a single nose fuze, and is compatible with most models of Soviet aircraft.[4]

Operational history

The FAB-500 was widely employed over Afghanistan by Soviet and allied Afghan forces during the 1980s and saw use during the Syrian civil war where it was carried by both Russian and Syrian warplanes.[5][6][7] The M62 variant of the FAB-500 has been used by Russian military forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8] On 13 March 2022 and 14 May 2022, FAB-500 bombs were found in Ukrainian cities Chernihiv[9] and Odesa.[10]

In March 2023, Russian Su-35s launched a number of FAB-500M-62, wreckage of which indicated that they had been fitted with an UMPK, a glide kit involving pop-out wings. It's unknown whether these had an internal navigation system, or were fitted with wings simply to extend the range to up to 70 km.[11] It also is believed that these give Russian aircraft a stand-off ability to hit Ukrainian targets without risking exposure to Ukrainian air defences.[12][13][14]

As of May 2023, UMPK-equipped FAB-500 glide bombs have continued to be used by Russia in Ukraine, with up to 20 of them being dropped every day, and Ukrainian air defences lack the capability to intercept them.[11][15] The full-scale training of Russian pilots on using the bombs was reportedly started in November 2023.[16]

According to the Institute for the Study of War a FAB-500: “hold an explosive weight of 150 kilograms, have a damage radius of 250 meters, and can destroy headquarters, warehouses, and concrete and reinforced concrete objects.” [17]

Operational envelope (FAB-500 M-62)

  • Release altitude: 570–12,000 metres (1,870–39,400 ft)
  • Release speed: 500–1,900 kilometres per hour (311–1,180 mph)[18]

Variants

  • FAB-500 M-54 (ФАБ-500 М-54) – original 1954 high-drag model intended for internal carriage in heavy bombers, featuring a ballistic ring on the nose of the bomb to act as a vortex generator to aid the bomb's stabilizers.[19][20]
  • FAB-500 M-62 (ФАБ-500 М-62) – low-drag 1962 model designed for external carriage on hardpoints on fighter-bombers.[21][22]
  • FAB-500 M-62T – heat-resistant, capable of withstanding high-temperature aerodynamic heating, arising during flight at high speeds. Developed for the MiG-25RB.[22]
  • FAB-500 M-62 MPK (ФАБ-500 М-62 с МПК)
  • FAB-500T (ФАБ-500Т)[23]
  • FAB-500TA (ФАБ-500ТА)
  • FAB-500ShN (ФАБ-500ШН) – parachute-retarded thin cased bomb[21]
  • FAB-500ShL (ФАБ-500ШЛ) – parachute-retarded high explosive bomb[21][24]
  • FAB-500 M46 (ФАБ-500 М46)
  • FAB-500 M44 (ФАБ-500 М44)
  • FAB-500 M43 (ФАБ-500 М43)
  • FAB-500-300 (ФАБ-500-300) – thick cased high explosive
  • FAB-500TS (ФАБ-500ТС) – thick cased high explosive and fragmentation[23][24][25]
  • FAB-500TSM (ФАБ-500ТСМ)
  • OFAB-500 (ОФАБ-500) – general purpose high explosive fragmentation bomb (contains 3 x 150 kg submunitions)[26]
  • OFAB-500U (ОФАБ-500У) – delayed action fragmentation bomb
  • OFAB-500ShR (ОФАБ-500ШP) – parachute-retarded fragmentation bomb

See also

References

  1. ^ "FAB-500 M-62 high-explosive bomb". Rosoboronexport.
  2. ^ U.S.S.R. BOMB, FAB-250 M46, General purpose
  3. ^ "Russian Aviation Bombs".
  4. ^ "FAB-500". Guide to Military Equipment and Civil Aviation. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Afghanistan Ordnance Identification Guide" (PDF). Center for International Stabilization and Recovery. 2004.
  6. ^ "DFID funded EOD team defuses 500kg aircraft bomb in Herat city". The HALO Trust.
  7. ^ "The Su-22 Is Syria's War-Weary Warhorse". War Is Boring. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Three FAB-500 aerial bombs found in Chernihiv". news 24. 15 February 2017. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  9. ^ "In Chernihiv, three unexploded 500kg bombs discovered in residential areas". ukrinform.net. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Rescuers defuse two 500-kg aircraft bombs in Odesa Oblast". english.nv.ua. 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Russia deploys up to 20 guided bombs each day – Ukraine's Air Force". Yahoo. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Mystery Surrounds Appearance of Russian Aerial Bombs Fitted with Wings". kyivpost. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  13. ^ "UMPK guided bomb". globalsecurity. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Russia uses its own kind of "smart" bombs in Sumy Oblast". Yahoo. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  15. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey; Schmitt, Eric (26 May 2023). "Russia's Old Bombs Elude Ukraine's Modern Defenses". New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  16. ^ "ЦАМТО / / В ВКС начнется массовое обучение летчиков применению «умных авиабомб»". ЦАМТО / Центр анализа мировой торговли оружием (in Russian). 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  17. ^ Karolina Hird; Christina Harward; Kateryna Stepanenko; Angelica Evans; Frederick W. Kagan (2023-10-30). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 30, 2023". understandingwar.org. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  18. ^ "High-explosive bomb FAB-500 M-62 | Catalog Rosoboronexport".
  19. ^ Gordon, Yefim (2004). Soviet / Russian aircraft weapons : since World War Two. Hinkley: Midland Publishing. p. 158. ISBN 1857801881. OCLC 56650196.
  20. ^ "ФАБ-500М-54". aviaros.narod.ru. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) – Ammunition Identification Guide – Libya" (PDF). 2015.
  22. ^ a b "ФАБ-500М-62". aviaros.narod.ru. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  23. ^ a b "FAB-250 General purpose Bomb". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  24. ^ a b "Авиационное бомбовое вооружение". www.militaryparitet.com. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  25. ^ "ФАБ-250ТС/500ТС". www.airwar.ru. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  26. ^ "General-purpose HE fragmentation bomb OFAB-500U | Catalog Rosoboronexport". roe.ru. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
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