Ukrainian airstrike dismantles Russian fortress using precision bombs

Although the segment of the front north of Kharkiv has been one of the quietest for a few weeks, this does not mean there are no military actions. Here is what the Ukrainians used to attack the Russians hiding in the converted museum-fortress in the area of Vovchansk.

Due to the building's sturdiness, the museum was converted by the Russians into a fortress. This caused so many problems for the Ukrainians that they decided to use a scarce weapon, which was an air raid by a MiG-29 aircraft dropping four GBU-39 SDB guided glide bombs.

The Ukrainians, utilizing the remnants of their air force mostly based on MiG-29 aircraft, which have seen losses and have spare parts needs largely covered by Poland and Slovakia, are managing as best they can.

A MiG-29 equipped with what one could call a "bomb four-pack" — based on the BRU-61/A launcher mounted on a single pylon accommodating up to four GBU-39 SDB bombs — was used for the attack. In the case of the MiG-29 aircraft, it can carry loads on four underwing pylons weighing just over 1,300 pounds, such as 1,100-pound aerial bombs.

This allows a BRU-61/A launcher along with a load of four GBU-39 SDB bombs to be carried on a single MiG pylon, as the total weight of the set is just over 1,300 pounds. In theory, a MiG-29 can carry up to 16 aerial bombs, which is a huge improvement compared to just four units.

On the other hand, the GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), introduced into service in the USAF in 2006, are small guided bombs allowing a greater number of targets to be hit during a single air raid.

Weighing 268 pounds, with 205 pounds of that being the warhead of the SDB bomb, they are "featherweight" among aerial bombs but, thanks to their ability to hit with precision down to one meter, they are an effective weapon. The bomb can detonate in the air, creating a deadly barrage of shrapnel, or with a delay after penetrating, for example, a building wall. According to Boeing, the SDB bombs can penetrate 35 inches of reinforced concrete, which is extremely difficult for artillery shells.

For this reason, SDB bombs are ideal for attacking heavily fortified positions or reinforced hangars at airports. Bomb guidance is based on satellite and inertial navigation, but there is also a GBU-39/B variant that uses a laser beam to achieve 100% precision even in GPS-jamming conditions.

These are also bombs with folding wings, so if dropped from a great height, they can glide to their target tens of miles away. This allows the bomb-carrying aircraft to stay well out of the range of short-range anti-aircraft defenses. It is a very effective tool, but the Ukrainians need more aircraft in addition to the bombs.