Ukraine’s first glide bomb ready for combat use
Ukraine’s first glide bomb, developed by a Brave1 participant, has passed all required tests and is ready for combat deployment.
What is a glide bomb?
A glide bomb or a guided aerial bomb (GAB) is an air-launched munition equipped with guidance and aerodynamic control systems designed to significantly increase targeting accuracy.
The main advantage of glide bombs over conventional aerial bombs is that they can be launched from an aircraft dozens of kilometers outside the range of enemy air defenses.
How Ukraine's glide bomb compares to Western GBUs and Russian KABs
Western air forces field a wide range of similar systems known as Guided Bomb Units (GBUs), including the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), GBU-31 JDAM, and the extended-range JDAM-ER. These weapons are built around guidance kits attached to conventional bombs.
Russia has fielded its own variant since 2023, retrofitting Soviet-era FAB bombs with the UMPK guidance kit.
Ukraine's new glide bomb is a domestic answer to this class of weapons, designed from scratch.
Ukraine’s glide bomb is built on lessons from the war
Ukraine’s glide bomb is not a copy of Western or Soviet-designed systems. It is an indigenous development created by Ukrainian engineers over the course of 17 months. Brave1 supported the project with a grant at an early stage of development.
The guided aerial bomb incorporates a unique design tailored to the realities of modern warfare.
Ukraine is shifting from importing individual solutions to building indigenous high-tech weapons that systematically enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces and provide technological superiority on the battlefield. Ukraine’s guided aerial bomb will soon be striking enemy targets. We are scaling solutions that extend strike range, enhance precision, and change the rules of modern warfare.
Strike range and warhead: hitting targets behind the front line
Equipped with a 250 kg warhead, the glide bomb can strike fortifications, command posts, and other targets dozens of kilometers behind enemy lines after launch.
The Ministry of Defence has already procured the first experimental batch. Pilots are currently practicing combat scenarios and expanding the system's operational use.
The system’s combat debut is expected soon.
Ukraine’s glide bomb is a powerful counter against enemy advances. We are building and scaling domestic high-tech solutions that can change the course of the war.
Earlier, the Ministry of Defence explained in detail the advantages of GABs and how this technology has changed the tactics of aerial warfare.