(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Russian military has reportedly resumed large-scale production of 3-ton bombs called FAB-3000, equipped with 1.4 tons of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive material.
Originating from the days of World War II, the former Soviet Union, initially developed the FAB-3000 bombs.
Now, there’s a resurgence in production, likely indicating preparations for potential conflicts in Ukraine or as part of broader war readiness measures.
However, Russia has not provided any official justification for this renewed production of the 3-ton bombs.
The blast radius of the FAB-3000 bombs is approximately 900 meters, posing significant destruction to targets such as buildings or military installations.
Although bombs from the FAB family lack guidance systems, they will be equipped with the Universal Module for Planning and Correction (UMPC) or Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii (UMPK), effectively turning them into guided or smart bombs.
This UMPC/UMPK concept mirrors the JDAM kits used by the United States military, transforming dumb bombs into smart ones.
Besides enhancing the precision of these bombs after being fitted with UMPC/UMPK kits, their range is also extended due to the addition of wings, allowing for greater distance coverage once dropped from aircraft.
Bombs equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits along with wings/glider can engage targets up to 80km away.
Western military analysts also refer to these bombs as “winged bombs” or “glide bombs.”
Now, the Ukrainian military faces the prospect of 3-ton FAB-3000 bombs capable of “flying” distances ranging from 80km to 100km when equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits, posing a threat to targets deep within its territory.
Bombs equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits are considered stealthy against air defense systems as they do not emit any electromagnetic radio signals, radar signals, or heat from engines that could be detected by infrared (IR) air defense sensors.
Russia employs bombs equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits to target fortified Ukrainian defense positions located outside the coverage area of its air defense systems.
Currently, the Russian military extensively utilizes FAB-500 bombs weighing 500kg and FAB-1500 bombs weighing 1.5 tons to strike Ukrainian military positions, claiming significant effectiveness, as asserted by Moscow.
Acknowledging the effectiveness of FAB bombs after being equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits in the Ukrainian theater of war, the Russian military is now enhancing the effectiveness of the FAB bomb family by introducing the 3-ton FAB-3000.
According to Russian military analysts, the 3-ton FAB-3000 bombs equipped with UMPC/UMPK kits will be dropped by strategic bombers like the Tu-22M3, rather than fighter jets like the Su-34 as previously done.
However, Ukraine’s nightmare with the large-scale production of FAB-3000 bombs might not end there, as there are two more members of its family: the 5-ton FAB-5000 and the 9-ton FAB-9000.
As of now, Russia has not announced whether it will resume production of FAB-5000 and FAB-9000 bombs, but such decisions may also hinge upon the situation on the Ukrainian battlefield. — DSA