Posted on 03/21/2024 8:44:01 PM PDT by House Atreides
In recent news, we've learnt that Russia has allegedly begun the production of the venerable FAB-3000 bomb, sporting more than a thousand kilos of explosives; they certainly pack a punch. But why now?
I see one likely and one less likely answer to this question. We'll start with the more probable: Russia intends to use these to defeat Ukraine's defences. We've seen that Ukraine has begun the construction of massive defensive lines. One key difference between their defensive lines and ours is their use of more centralized citadel-like structures in combination with trench lines and other standard defences. Usually, these massive bunker complexes would be challenging to crack, sporting intricate defences and many metres of earth on top to insulate them from outside attack. Using FAB-1500s and FAB-3000s against these targets would break them open with little difficulty, allowing our forces to exploit the destruction of defensive structures.
A particular channel that we regularly source "Ukrainain posts" from tells us that the only jet capable of carrying such a bomb would be the TU-22m3. They say that this will make them easy targets. Russia will likely adapt the SU-34 for this job, but one must consider the massive weight of the FAB-3000 and the UPMK kit that will likely be attached to extend the range. An alternative to this theory would be that Russia intends to use the TU-22m3, indicating that they believe that Ukrainian AD will soon be degraded enough to permit their use... Regardless, introducing the FAB-3000 will undoubtedly add a new kind of pain to the Ukrainians.
I did mention that a second option far less likely is that Russia believes they'll soon lay siege with total air supremacy, permitting the use of the FAB-3000 for siege warfare(Think Mariupol). This is far less likely but not impossible." (Masno --Angelo)
We should not be involved in this and NO ONE should revel in it or cheer it on.
Hopefully these 3 ton bombs bring a quick end to this HORRIFIC Neocon War.
The link explains the main point - these big bombs are heavy and can’t “glide” very far, meaning they need to be released much closer to the target.
Maybe that was risk for Russian planes a year ago, but its clear that Ukraine has no air-defenses left, certainly none at the front.
Building some new bombs or discovering some old ones in a dusty and forgotten weapons cache?
CC
I suspect some combination of both. But that’s just a suspicion.
6000 lbs of what? Gunpwder. ANFO? RDX, HMX?
The shear quantity of Vlad’s 500, 1500, and now 3,000 FABs had been instrumental in the Ukie rout at Avdivka. At one point in the Ukie last days, Vlad unleashed 2-300 hundred in a few days…..the Ukies quickly turned tail…their eight year concrete fortified defenses were quickly turned into rubble.
Scores upon scores of Ukies were buried in the many collapsed buildings.Exact figures unknown, but it was a slaughter.
Dumb question: Why not fit them with their own wings and drop them from a sling underneath the bomber’s fuselage? Maybe attach a rocket assist to help it go a little farther.
Stupid link; no video.
“ Dumb question: Why not fit them with their own wings and drop them from a sling underneath the bomber’s fuselage? Maybe attach a rocket assist to help it go a little farther.”
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My understanding is that the bombs themselves are to be deployed with a kit that makes them into guided glide bombs with extended range and very precise on-target accuracy.
“6000 lbs. of what? Gunpowder. ANFO? RDX, HMX?”
With the designation of FAB I would think this is a Fuel/Air type bomb. Sometimes called a poor mans nuke, or as we used to call them “daisy cutters.”
Not exactly sure of the mechanics of how they work, but something to the effect of they were dragged out of the back of a C130 by parachute, at a certain point above the ground there was a detonation that released fuel, which vaporized, the was ignited by a second blast. When the fuel detonated, it sucked all available oxygen out of the air, suffocating anything living and incinerating every thing around. Made LZ’s right quick and in a hurry.
Russian FABs are not fuel-air (thermobaric) bombs.
“FAB” in the Russian FAB glide bombs stands for “Fugasnaya Aviatsionnaya Bomba,” which translates to “High Explosive Aviation Bomb” in English.
Oh, a Maginot Line... no more to be said...
It doesn’t matter where they came from. What does matter is if they are capable of destroying Ukraine’s front lines and the defensive works the troops hide behind. I don’t think the 3000 will have a problem after watching the smaller 1500 do the job.
[...very precise on-target accuracy.]
If they were accurate they wouldn’t need to be 6000lbs.
The larger size is to compensate for poor accuracy.
“ The larger size is to compensate for poor accuracy.”
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If I’m reading correctly it’s to compensate for much “harder” targets that are selected.
Biden sneaks $300M for Ukraine in US spending bill.
https://twitter.com/RepOgles/status/1770808881456853022
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