The feasibility of using strategic, long-range and transport aircraft as carriers of FAB-3000 with UMPC
In the background is a FAB-3000-M54. Image by mil.ru
One of the most effective types of weapons used by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces) during a special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine were aerial bombs equipped with unified planning and correction modules (UMPC).
Initially, high-explosive aerial bombs (FAB) of 500 kilogram caliber - FAB-500 - began to be used on the battlefield with UMPC, then they were supplemented with smaller products FAB-250, as well as RBK-500 cluster munitions and ODAB-500 volumetric detonating ammunition. Recently, the most powerful FAB-1500 aerial bombs with UMPC have been used.
Each ammunition of one caliber or another has its own advantages and disadvantages.
On the one hand, reducing the caliber allows the carrier to take more bombs from the UMPC at a time and destroy more targets in one flight, but provided that the destructive power of these ammunition is sufficient to destroy/destroy the given targets.
On the other hand, larger-caliber aerial bombs are capable of destroying more protected objects; in addition, it can be assumed that the main limiter in the use of aerial bombs with UMPC is the high-tech filling, and not the aerial bombs themselves, and therefore it is more expedient to spend it on those aerial bombs that will inflict on the enemy more harm - we talked about this earlier in the material “When size matters: UMPC on FAB of increased power”.
The first “bell” was the appearance of the aforementioned FAB-1500 with UMPC, which in its destructive power exceeds most guided munitions, not only in Russia, but also abroad, capable of laying down huge buildings and structures.
FAB-1500 with UMPC are already flying to enemy positions
And during his visit to Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the resumption of production of high-explosive bombs FAB-3000-M54 (hereinafter referred to as FAB-3000). The explosive mass of these aerial bombs is approximately 1 kilograms, the rest is made up of a massive steel body, capable of breaking through high-strength fortifications and detonating the bomb inside the object being destroyed.
Nothing has been said yet about the use of the FAB-3000 with the UMPC, but it is extremely unlikely that the Russian Armed Forces will decide to use the FAB-3000 without the UMPC - even taking into account the weakening of the Ukrainian air defense (air defense) recently, the FAB-carriers will be approaching the release point 3000 is deadly - the enemy will make every effort to destroy our aircraft.
Funnel from FAB-3000
In the above-mentioned material, we said that the main factor limiting the use of UMPC on aerial bombs of the FAB-9000, FAB-5000, FAB-3000 types will be the number of carriers that can use them, as well as the release range, which determines the survival of the carrier aircraft in conditions of countering enemy air defenses.
The problem of finding the optimal carrier for aerial bombs with UMPC has been raised by the author more than once; the fact is that aerial bombs with UMPC are weapon “mass application”, and not some kind of “silver bullet”, accordingly, carriers of aerial bombs with UMPC should also be widespread and inexpensive, both in their cost and in operating cost - for these purposes it is not very rational to use such complex and expensive combat vehicles, like the latest Su-57 and Su-35 fighters, since the complex and expensive avionics (avionics) they have are not required to use air bombs with UMPC against targets with pre-known coordinates.
However, with FAB-3000 carriers it is still more difficult, since not every aircraft is capable of lifting this product, and for those who are capable, being carriers of these aerial bombs, even taking into account their equipment with UMPC, may be too risky.
Let's take a closer look at the potential FAB-3000 carriers with UMPC; we will immediately make a reservation: we are not considering the use of FAB-3000 without UMPC, since this would mean the complete suppression of enemy air defense, and in this case it is no longer critical what to throw and from what.
Tu-160(M), Tu-95MS(MSM)
It would seem that the most logical would be the use of strategic aircraft as carriers of the FAB-3000 with UMPC. aviation Tu-160(M) and Tu-95MS(MSM) - their significant payload capacity will allow the use of up to half a dozen such ammunition in one flight.
However, firstly, according to open data, all Tu-160(M) and Tu-95MS(MSM) currently in service are adapted for striking with long-range cruise missiles (CR), to ensure the possibility of using FAB- 3000 with UMPC, they will have to be modified, and the ability to use long-range missiles by these aircraft may be temporarily/partially lost.
And secondly, the RF Armed Forces don’t have so many of these aircraft to risk them by flying too close to the line of combat contact (LCC), especially since their huge size, low maneuverability, and high visibility in the thermal and radar wavelength ranges make their easy target for enemy anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), plus there is a possibility that such aircraft will be detected by enemy HBTSS and PWSA reconnaissance satellites, with target designation being issued directly to the air defense system.
Tu-160 and Tu-95MS. Image by Wikimedia Commons / V. Savitsky / Sergey Krivchikov – Russian AviaPhoto Team
And according to the “cost-effectiveness” criterion, these aircraft do not look very good as carriers of aerial bombs with UMPC - they are too expensive, and the flight hour of these aircraft is too expensive.
Tu-22M3(M3M)
Immediately behind the “strategists” is the long-range bomber Tu-22M3 (M3M), which confirmed its ability to use FAB-3000, dropping them on the Ukronazis entrenched at the Azovstal plant. But the Tu-22M3 (M3M) can hardly be called an ideal carrier of the FAB-3000 with UMPC, the problems are still the same - the large size of the aircraft, low maneuverability, significant visibility in the thermal and radar wavelength ranges, limited number in the RF Armed Forces, high cost of the aircraft and his flight hour.
There is another important question - how large will the UMPC be for the FAB-3000?
There is a possibility that due to the large size of the UMPC, aerial bombs with it simply will not fit into the internal compartments of aircraft; in this case, the Tu-22M3 (M3M) could potentially carry two such aerial bombs with UMPC on modified underwing pylons, where it previously carried anti-ship missiles (RCR) X-22.
Tu-22M3 with Kh-22 anti-ship missiles weighing over 5 kilograms each
By the way, it is the significant dimensions of the UMPC that can become an obstacle to equipping such ammunition as the FAB-5000 and FAB-9000 with them - they simply will not fit into any existing carrier.
In general, although strategic and long-range aviation aircraft can be used as carriers of FAB-3000 with UMPC, this can hardly be called an optimal solution.
Still, the Tu-160(M) and Tu-95MS(MSM) are more needed as carriers of long-range strategic cruise missiles Kh-555 and Kh-101 (and The Tu-160M could potentially also become a carrier of hypersonic missiles of the Kinzhal complex), and Tu-22M3(M3M) are needed as a carrier aeroballistic anti-ship missiles X-22/X-32.
IL-76
It would seem, what does transport aircraft have to do with it? After all, dropping aerial bombs, even with UMPC, is not their purpose at all?
However, in reality, there are many cases of using transport aircraft to drop ammunition for various purposes, moreover, there is a clear tendency that in the future the use of transport aircraft as delivery vehicles for various types of weapons will only increase.
Let’s not talk about the use of conventional free-fall bombs from transport aircraft in conditions of complete or almost complete air supremacy, for example, when American C-130 transport aircraft were used to drop BLU-82 bombs in Vietnam. Although training for the crews of transport aircraft in terms of dropping air bombs in the Russian Armed Forces is still carried out, for example, in November 2021, Il-76 transport aircraft successfully bombed for training purposes at the Kushalino training ground in the Tver region from an altitude of about 500 meters.
Ранее transport aircraft were even considered as a platform for launching air-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Launching an air-launched ICBM from a transport aircraft
Tested in the USA the possibility of using transport aircraft as carriers of small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), capable of operating both in kamikaze mode and being reused after returning to the carrier. Russia is considering the possibility of a similar use of the Il-76 as a carrier of the Molniya UAV.
Image of receiving a UAV onto a C-130 transport aircraft and a test flight with transportation of the UAV on the receiving device
The Rapid Dragon system is being actively tested, which involves placing special pallets for JASSM-ER cruise missiles in American transport aircraft. The C-130 can carry 12 JASSM-ER cruise missiles, while the larger C-17 can carry 5 pallets of 9 missiles each for a total of 45 JASSM-ER missiles.
In addition, the possibility of using JDAM-ER guided bombs and ADM-160 MALD decoys from transport aircraft in a similar way is being considered - the latter two types of weapons, by the way, are used in Ukraine, and how would we not end up among the “beta testers” of this American weapons, since the US interest in it is quite high. Something similar is being developed in Japan.
Rapid Dragon system. Image from Lockheed Martin presentation
Why such a long preamble?
And to the fact that of all the “large” aircraft, perhaps it is the Il-76 transport aircraft that can become the most effective carriers of the FAB-3000 with UMPC.
What is their advantage?
In the size of the cargo compartment.
As we said earlier, FAB-3000 with UMPC can be quite large products; in addition, the size limitation will not allow installing UMPC with a wingspan that provides a greater range of use on the FAB-3000. A number of sources suggest that the significant weight and dimensions of the FAB-3000 with UMPC will make it possible to ensure a gliding range of no more than 40 kilometers, which seriously puts the carrier aircraft at risk.
Il-76 cargo compartment. Image by Wikimedia Commons/User#101
The Il-76 transport aircraft has a cargo compartment with dimensions of 20x3,45x3,4 meters (in general the length of the cargo compartment is 24,5 meters, but there is a 4,5 meter ramp from it), a payload capacity of 28–60 tons, a flight range with a payload of 40 tons - 6 kilometers.
Based on the above dimensions of the cargo compartment, we can talk about the potential possibility of placing in the Il-76 in specialized transportation and discharge devices from 3 to 16 units. FAB-3000 with UMPC (3–4 units in length, 1–2 units in width in the bottom row, 1–2 units in width in the top row), depending on the dimensions of the UMPC with the required wingspan.
By the way, previously the possibility of placing glide ammunition with a high aspect ratio wing (relative to the ammunition body) in the cargo compartment of an Il-76 transport aircraft was considered by the author in the material "Project Condor: Death from Heaven".
Project "Condor". Author image
The use of transport aircraft as carriers of aerial bombs with UMPC removes the restriction on the use of such super-heavy ammunition as FAB-5000 and FAB-9000 with UMPC, it’s just that fewer of them will be placed in the cargo compartment, for example, only 3-6 units. FAB-5000 with UMPC or 1–2 units. FAB-9000 with UMPC.
Possessing strike accuracy comparable to that of a modern cruise missile, FAB-5000 and FAB-9000 ammunition with UMPC will leave no chance for such capital structures as bridges, dams, factory floors, port facilities and much more.
Conclusions
Of all the strategic, long-range and transport aircraft - potential carriers of the FAB-3000 with UMPC, the use of modified Il-76 transport aircraft is presumably optimal. Their transport compartment can accommodate from 3 to 16 units. FAB-3000, equipped with a UMPC with a high aspect ratio wing, providing a large gliding range, minimizing the risk of hitting an enemy air defense missile carrier aircraft.
Also, the use of transport aircraft for dropping aerial bombs potentially allows us to consider the possibility of equipping UMPC and more powerful ammunition, such as FAB-5000 and FAB-9000.
FAB-9000-M54
It should be noted that the FAB-3000 can potentially be used from tactical aircraft, but we will talk about this in the next article.
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