Ukraine's last MiG‑29s deploy French bombs to target Russia
Ukrainian aviation continues operations against Russian forces, using the last remaining aircraft while awaiting the delivery of promised F-16 planes. For this reason, footage displaying the moment of dropping guided bombs with AASM Hammer modules by a MiG-29 is rare. We explain the nature of the maneuver and the uniqueness of these guided bombs from France.
2:32 PM EDT, June 28, 2024
Before the war, Ukrainian aviation mainly relied on MiG-29, Su-27 strike Su-24, and assault Su-25 aircraft. Only a tiny fraction of the pre-war potential is maintained with tremendous effort.
For this reason, airstrikes on Russian positions are carried out only for precious targets or in very challenging situations for ground units. Below, a low-flying MiG can be seen rapidly ascending just before dropping a pair of bombs. This maneuver aims to increase the bombs' range, causing them to ascend briefly after being dropped before falling on their target.
MiG-29 and AASM Hammer bombs
Ukrainian MiGs are used as air defense radar hunters or strike aircraft in addition to their original tasks of hunting enemy aircraft and helicopters.
For attacks on Russian forces, JDAM-ER-guided bombs are used, but a much better and safer tool is the unique French AASM Hammer bombs. Unlike ordinary glide bombs, these allow for dropping at very low altitudes while offering significant range.
JDAM-ER glide bombs equipped with folding wings or their Russian copies, FAB, with UMPK modules, can strike targets up to 43 miles away, but they must be dropped from a high altitude, such as 6 miles or more. This means exposing the carrying aircraft to medium-range air defense systems, like the S-300, which has a range of over 62 miles.
The solution to this problem is low-altitude flight, where the detection range of practically any ground radar is limited to about 25 miles. However, the range of glide bombs decreases significantly since they have no opportunity to glide.
Valuable weapon from Paris
France addressed this issue with its AASM Hammer modules (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), which use a rocket engine to propel the bomb. Thanks to this, the range dropped from a low altitude is 9 miles, exceeding the capabilities of short-range Russian air defense systems like the Pancyr-S1.
Meanwhile, systems like the S-300 would only see the bomb-carrying aircraft with AASM Hammer modules briefly during ascent, giving operators little time to react.
Combining this with the fact that French bombs offer precision up to 3 feet and are suitable for combating even moving targets, we get a powerful weapon. Importantly, they are effective (with appropriate guiding heads) even under the influence of Russian electronic warfare systems, which pose problems for ordinary JDAM bombs.
As a result, an ideal tool for attacking command points or mighty fortifications has been created. So far, Ukrainians primarily use the lightest 551-pound versions, which fighter jets can easily carry.
