Taiwanese Company Allegedly Supplied Components for UMPK Kits in Russian Glide Bombs

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – A report by Ukrainian analysts has revealed that glide bombs used by Russia against Ukraine contain components produced by a Taiwanese company.

The Taiwanese automotive parts manufacturer is alleged to have supplied components used in the servomechanisms of UMPK (Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii) kits, which enhance the accuracy of bombs deployed by the Russian Air Force.

According to the Ukrainian defense website Militarnyi, Ukrainian analyst Vadim Labas identified the Taiwanese company as “TRC-Auto” or Rongcherng Suspenparts.

The Taiwan-based company is reported to have modified and supplied components that were “allegedly used to produce precision-guided bombs at the request of the Russian military.”

A critical component of the glide bombs used by Russian combat aircraft is the servomechanism, which deploys wings on modules attached to the UMPK kits.

“A document shared by Vadim Labas details modifications made to a ‘servo controller’ product with model number CP500-130-01-M.

The modifications allegedly strengthened the device to support the weight of the wing module after previous versions were deemed too fragile,” the report states.

Labas’ revelations are significant, as one of the Russian Air Force’s key advantages over the past year has been the use of glide bombs equipped with UMPK kits.

These kits have allowed Russian fighter jets and bombers to significantly enhance their precision and long-range strike capabilities.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the glide bombs are modified versions of standard bombs used by the Russian Air Force, such as the FAB-250, FAB-500, and FAB-1500, fitted with UMPK glide and correction kits.

The institute notes that the glide bombs are not only equipped with UMPK kits but also feature laser guidance and satellite navigation systems, improving their accuracy to within 16 feet, compared to 160 feet previously.

These precision bombs can be deployed by Russian fighter jets, including the Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35.

“The glide bombs can ‘fly’ up to 200 km after being dropped by fighter jets, allowing them to strike targets while keeping the aircraft out of range of Ukrainian air defenses,” the institute added.

As an example, the institute highlighted that a FAB-250 glide bomb, weighing 100 kg, can cause destruction within a 400-foot radius. Meanwhile, the FAB-500, weighing 500 kg, has a destructive radius of 800 feet.

For the FAB-1500, weighing over 1,500 kg, the destructive radius extends to 1,600 feet.

“A FAB-1500 bomb equipped with a UMPK kit can penetrate underground bunkers up to 20 meters deep,” analysts noted, adding that Ukrainian air defense systems struggle to counter glide bombs equipped with UMPK kits.

The air defense systems operated by Ukrainian forces are not designed to intercept glide bombs, which were originally “dumb” bombs without guidance systems, carried by Russian fighter jets.

“Ukrainian air defenses fail to intercept glide bombs dropped by Russian jets. This poses a significant threat to Ukraine, as 500 kg bombs can ‘fly’ over certain distances once equipped with wings (UMPK kits),” Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesperson Yuriy Inhat was previously quoted as saying. – DSA