Ukraine successfully tests FAB-500 glide kit to boost precision and expand strike capabilities
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On June 25, 2025, Ukraine’s KB Medoid presented a new glide module for FAB 500 bombs, marking a strategic effort to convert aging Soviet-era munitions into precision-guided weapons for deep strike missions, as reported by United24 Media. This development positions Ukraine’s defense industry at the forefront of standoff strike innovations, enabling bombers to deliver precision strikes from 60 to potentially 80 kilometers, significantly improving both mission reach and pilot survivability. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
KB Medoid’s FAB-500 glide module marks a turning point in Ukraine’s defense posture, an emblem of resilience, ingenuity, and strategic necessity (Picture source: United24 Media)
Ukraine’s new glide module, developed by Kyiv-based KB Medoid, is engineered to retrofit FAB-500 general-purpose bombs with foldable wings and dual-mode guidance systems, enabling standoff precision strikes. Once dropped from Su-24M bombers, the modified bombs can glide for up to 60 kilometers, with plans for an 80-kilometer variant under testing. The guidance system integrates inertial navigation and satellite positioning, with future versions set to incorporate anti-jamming technology developed in cooperation with French partners. This innovation not only increases strike distance but significantly reduces pilot exposure to Russian air defense systems such as the S-300 and S-400.
The glide module emerges from a war-induced acceleration in Ukrainian military R&D, with KB Medoid taking a central role in repurposing legacy stockpiles for modern use. Originally produced in large quantities during the Soviet era, FAB-500 bombs lacked targeting accuracy and required aircraft to fly dangerously close to targets. By 2023, Russia’s deployment of UMPK-equipped bombs widened the technological gap in precision strikes. Ukraine’s effort to replicate and localize this capability began shortly after, drawing from recovered Russian UMPK debris and battlefield analysis. Despite wartime industrial constraints, including disrupted supply lines and energy shortages, Ukraine’s defense ecosystem has maintained steady innovation through distributed, adaptive manufacturing practices and targeted partnerships.
Compared to its Russian counterpart, the UMPK, Ukraine’s module achieves similar performance at lower cost and complexity, thanks to the country’s abundant FAB-500 stockpiles and integration with existing aircraft platforms. While Russia’s UMPK benefits from centralized mass production and seamless deployment on frontline jets like the Su-34, Ukraine’s approach emphasizes operational flexibility and domestic sustainment. Against Western analogs such as the U.S. JDAM-ER or France’s AASM, the Ukrainian system is more limited in precision and resilience to jamming, but significantly more cost-effective. KB Medoid’s system, with ongoing improvements, promises to close the performance gap while offering a scalable solution under war conditions.
The deployment of this glide module carries far-reaching strategic consequences. It enhances Ukraine’s ability to strike military infrastructure, logistics nodes, and command posts without risking aircraft in contested airspace. From a geopolitical perspective, the innovation reduces dependence on NATO-supplied PGMs, signaling Ukraine’s intent to build sovereign strike capabilities. Militarily, the system levels the tactical imbalance created by Russia’s UMPK and complicates adversarial air defense planning. If successfully integrated across Ukraine’s air fleet, including Su-24Ms and potentially even older aircraft types, this capability could enable a more dispersed, cost-effective deep strike doctrine within the broader context of asymmetric warfare.
KB Medoid’s FAB-500 glide module marks a turning point in Ukraine’s defense posture, an emblem of resilience, ingenuity, and strategic necessity. By transforming outdated ordnance into guided weapons, Ukraine not only mitigates its technological inferiority but also signals a broader shift toward military autonomy in the face of sustained aggression. The race to operationalize this system, refine its range and precision, and shield it from electronic interference is ongoing. Yet even at this stage, it offers Kyiv a valuable precision tool that aligns with the new logic of warfare: low-cost, high-impact adaptability in the shadow of great power confrontation.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On June 25, 2025, Ukraine’s KB Medoid presented a new glide module for FAB 500 bombs, marking a strategic effort to convert aging Soviet-era munitions into precision-guided weapons for deep strike missions, as reported by United24 Media. This development positions Ukraine’s defense industry at the forefront of standoff strike innovations, enabling bombers to deliver precision strikes from 60 to potentially 80 kilometers, significantly improving both mission reach and pilot survivability.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
KB Medoid’s FAB-500 glide module marks a turning point in Ukraine’s defense posture, an emblem of resilience, ingenuity, and strategic necessity (Picture source: United24 Media)
Ukraine’s new glide module, developed by Kyiv-based KB Medoid, is engineered to retrofit FAB-500 general-purpose bombs with foldable wings and dual-mode guidance systems, enabling standoff precision strikes. Once dropped from Su-24M bombers, the modified bombs can glide for up to 60 kilometers, with plans for an 80-kilometer variant under testing. The guidance system integrates inertial navigation and satellite positioning, with future versions set to incorporate anti-jamming technology developed in cooperation with French partners. This innovation not only increases strike distance but significantly reduces pilot exposure to Russian air defense systems such as the S-300 and S-400.
The glide module emerges from a war-induced acceleration in Ukrainian military R&D, with KB Medoid taking a central role in repurposing legacy stockpiles for modern use. Originally produced in large quantities during the Soviet era, FAB-500 bombs lacked targeting accuracy and required aircraft to fly dangerously close to targets. By 2023, Russia’s deployment of UMPK-equipped bombs widened the technological gap in precision strikes. Ukraine’s effort to replicate and localize this capability began shortly after, drawing from recovered Russian UMPK debris and battlefield analysis. Despite wartime industrial constraints, including disrupted supply lines and energy shortages, Ukraine’s defense ecosystem has maintained steady innovation through distributed, adaptive manufacturing practices and targeted partnerships.
Compared to its Russian counterpart, the UMPK, Ukraine’s module achieves similar performance at lower cost and complexity, thanks to the country’s abundant FAB-500 stockpiles and integration with existing aircraft platforms. While Russia’s UMPK benefits from centralized mass production and seamless deployment on frontline jets like the Su-34, Ukraine’s approach emphasizes operational flexibility and domestic sustainment. Against Western analogs such as the U.S. JDAM-ER or France’s AASM, the Ukrainian system is more limited in precision and resilience to jamming, but significantly more cost-effective. KB Medoid’s system, with ongoing improvements, promises to close the performance gap while offering a scalable solution under war conditions.
The deployment of this glide module carries far-reaching strategic consequences. It enhances Ukraine’s ability to strike military infrastructure, logistics nodes, and command posts without risking aircraft in contested airspace. From a geopolitical perspective, the innovation reduces dependence on NATO-supplied PGMs, signaling Ukraine’s intent to build sovereign strike capabilities. Militarily, the system levels the tactical imbalance created by Russia’s UMPK and complicates adversarial air defense planning. If successfully integrated across Ukraine’s air fleet, including Su-24Ms and potentially even older aircraft types, this capability could enable a more dispersed, cost-effective deep strike doctrine within the broader context of asymmetric warfare.
KB Medoid’s FAB-500 glide module marks a turning point in Ukraine’s defense posture, an emblem of resilience, ingenuity, and strategic necessity. By transforming outdated ordnance into guided weapons, Ukraine not only mitigates its technological inferiority but also signals a broader shift toward military autonomy in the face of sustained aggression. The race to operationalize this system, refine its range and precision, and shield it from electronic interference is ongoing. Yet even at this stage, it offers Kyiv a valuable precision tool that aligns with the new logic of warfare: low-cost, high-impact adaptability in the shadow of great power confrontation.
