The legendary 3000-kilogram class gliding guided bomb has finally made its debut on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield.
The Russian military, using the Su-34 fighter-bomber, dropped two of these bombs in a short period, demonstrating a shocking combat effect comparable to a small nuclear bomb!
On June 20th, the Russian Aerospace Forces dropped the first ever operational use of a guided FAB3000 heavy aviation bomb in Liptsy, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, hitting near a building occupied by Ukrainian forces.
Although the bomb did not directly hit the building, landing instead nearby, the structure was severely damaged by the intense vibration.
Just a day later, on June 21st, the Russian military dropped another guided FAB3000 bomb in Kharkiv Oblast.
This bomb also did not accurately hit the target building, but the deviation was not far.
While the building did not collapse, it still suffered significant damage.
Some netizens questioned the accuracy of the Russian FAB3000, suggesting it fell short of expectations.
In comparison, American-made bombs used by Israel in Gaza often achieve the effect of demolishing entire buildings.
Does this mean that the 3-ton FAB3000 bomb, although heavy, is less powerful than similar American products?
However, doubts about the FAB3000 might be overly simplistic.
Due to the video being shot from a distance, it is difficult to intuitively feel the explosion's power.
In fact, the area hit by the bomb suffered deadly shock waves and destruction.
It is reported that after the first bomb exploded, all soldiers inside a building occupied by the Ukrainian army nearby perished.
The second bomb killed over 70 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the 13th Brigade of the Ukrainian army, likely from internal injuries caused by the shockwave, showcasing the formidable power of the 3-ton bomb.
The FAB3000 was developed in 1946 after World War II, weighing 3067 kilograms with 1387 kilograms of explosive, a terrifying amount.
A 155mm large-caliber howitzer shell contains only about 8 kilograms of explosives, while the FAB3000's charge is equivalent to over 170 howitzer shells.
Even if filled with the less powerful TNT, the sheer volume of explosives is still incredibly frightening.
When a heavy bomb explodes, it not only creates high temperatures and fire but more importantly generates a powerful shockwave, causing lethal damage to surrounding buildings and personnel, which is its main destructive effect.
Shrapnel from the explosion can also fly farther.
People killed by the shockwave often have their clothes blown off by the blast wave, leaving naked bodies.
Although the building did not collapse, the severely damaged scene in the FAB3000 strike area indicates its extraordinary power, resembling an apocalyptic landscape.
According to Russian data, the lethal radius of the FAB3000 explosion is 45 meters, the destructive radius is 160 meters, and the influence radius is 1240 meters.
Even standing 1 kilometer away from the blast center can cause injury or death.
Although the original FAB3000 is extremely powerful, it is rarely used in modern warfare, only appearing in the Russian siege of the Azovstal steel plant in 2022. Its main drawbacks are its size, weight, and lack of guidance capability.
The basic version of the FAB3000 is 3 meters long with a diameter of 70 to 80 centimeters.
Ordinary fighter jets cannot carry such large equipment.
Although many fighters and attack aircraft have a total payload exceeding this value, the airframe structure at a single mounting point cannot bear such weight.
Previously, the Russian military could only rely on strategic bombers like the Tu-22M3 and Tu-95 to transport it.
Since the FAB3000 was originally designed to be dropped by bombers, it did not consider a streamlined design, instead adopting a high-drag design, which is disadvantageous for direct fighter jet mounting.
However, in modern battlefields, bomber air raids are easily targeted by ground anti-aircraft fire, limiting the use of the FAB3000.
In fact, the Russian military also has specialized precision-guided bombs, such as the KAB series, which can be remotely dropped by fighters or fighter-bombers.
However, these bombs are expensive and limited in quantity, making them uneconomical in a war of attrition.
Therefore, the Russian Aerospace Forces prefer to use the FAB series of high-explosive bombs, even if it requires using the valuable Su-34 to drop iron bombs up close, risking being shot down by ground anti-aircraft fire.
However, the Russian military has now started to massively use UMPK gliding guidance kits to modify old aviation bombs.
The Russian version of the UMPK kit is different from the American JDAM direct attack munition, almost resembling a "small airplane" mounted under the bomb.
After the bomb is dropped, this "small airplane" flips, spreads its wings, and flies towards the target under the guidance of the GLONASS global positioning system, with a range of 40 to 60 kilometers and an error margin within 20 meters.
Although this modification sacrifices some aspects, it is a necessary choice for improving long-range accuracy.
The FAB series bombs, although not as precise as the JDAM, due to their powerful explosive force and wide killing range, can still effectively destroy Ukrainian military defenses even if they miss the target by dozens of meters.
Successfully modified bombs include the FAB250, FAB500, FAB1500, and FAB3000, as well as the ODAB1500 thermobaric bomb and the RBK500 cluster bomb.
However, modifying high-drag bombs like the FAB1500 and FAB3000 is more difficult.
These two bombs have high charge, weight, size, and high drag characteristics.
This makes it rare to see FAB1500 and FAB3000 using UMPK modifications in modern battlefields.
Despite the tremendous power of the FAB3000, its manufacturing and modification costs are low.
Compared to Israel and America's advanced precision-guided bombs, its cost is inexpensive.
The use of such large bombs is now very rare.
However, due to their high intensity, high lethal radius, and broader operational range, the FAB3000 traditionally remains an indispensable part of tactical and strategic airstrikes.
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