Due to lack of enough precision ammunition one of the most modern 4++ generation fighter-jets of Russia, Su-35, is forced to actually play the role of an IL-2 attack aircraft from the times of the Second World War in Ukraine. A video published on Telegram shows the fighter-jet dropping FAB-250 unguided bombs on the enemy’s positions from a low altitude, while at the same time being under constant fire from MANPADS.
The Telegram channel, which published the video, is one of the most popular Russian military channels. However, this time, the channel’s administrators do not spare their critical opinion. Military Monitoring is publishing the comment accompanying the video without editing it.
“We have repeatedly stated in our publications that the lack of mass and cheap precision-guided munitions is one of the key problems of modern Russian Aerospace Forces, for which some even managed to criticize us.
However, just watch what happens in this video. One of our most modern fighters of the 4++ generation, the Su-35S, is forced to actually play the role of an Il-2 attack aircraft from the times of the Second World War, dropping FAB-250 unguided bombs on the enemy’s heads from a low altitude. At the same time, while also being under constant fire from MANPADS.
It is the lack of high-precision bombs, which allow them to be used from a distance of tens of kilometers, being outside the zone of destruction of most air defense systems, that force pilots to risk their lives and aircraft, performing tasks that are unusual for themselves, which have repeatedly led to unjustified losses. The life of a pilot and the cost of losing a fighter is incomparably higher than hundreds of precision-guided munitions, the mass production of which no one thinks even now.”
The FAB-250 is a Soviet-designed 250-kilogram general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead, primarily used by the Russian Air Force, former Soviet republics and customer countries. It is very widespread throughout the Third World. The original M-46 model was rolled out in 1946.
The bomb is unguided and is compatible with most models of Soviet aircraft. The FAB-250 was largely used in Afghanistan by the Soviet army in the 1980s. The FAB-250 has been used most recently in Syria.
Another very popular Russian Telegram channel with more than 1.2 million subscribers also commented on the video stressing that the reality in Ukraine is very different from the combat situation in Syria where the militant groups did not have air defense like Ukraine does.
“In modern warfare, carpet bombing by FABs is possible only with complete suppression of air defense systems, and with old types of weapons, it will be problematic to destroy all air defense systems. Of course, when conducting military operations with bearded men, as was the case in Syria, there was no need for this at all.
But now changes are required not only in tactics, but also in the sphere of the military-industrial complex. The Iranians proved that even under the endless sanctions and, in fact, using improvised means, it is possible to build a truly powerful military-industrial complex.
The Iranian Air Force’s outdated Su-22s are equipped with the latest guided bombs with a range of more than 50 km. Such modernization allows them to hit targets pointwise without entering the air defense coverage area. Thus, Iran is protecting its aircraft and, most importantly, pilots.”
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