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Russian air force in Syria has used advanced KAB-250 guided air bomb against IS targets TASS 12910151

The conflict in Syria

Russian air force in Syria has used advanced KAB-250 guided air bomb against IS targets.

The Russian air task force in Syria has used the advanced KAB-250 guided air bomb against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group banned in Russia, Konstantin Sivkov, Ph.D., a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Rocket, Missile and Artillery Sciences, mentions in the Military Industrial courier weekly.

KAB-250LG laser beam-riding blast-fragmentation bomb at MAKS Air Show in Moscow, Russia.

"Our aircraft have employed the latest product of Russia’s defense industry, the KAB-250, to eliminate targets in the immediate vicinity of civilian infrastructure. In Syria, bombs of the type are equipped with the guidance kit taking them to their stationary targets with the use of GLONASS [satellite navigation system] signals in a manner similar to the US-made JDAM [smart bomb]," Sivkov says in an article.

The KAB-250 has an edge on its US-made counterparts of the JDAM family. It can be released at supersonic speed, which extends its range. This makes the bomb a standoff weapon. In addition, its aerodynamic configuration has allowed a reduction in its circular error probable (CEP) down to 2-3 m, which is a very good result on par with the CEP of the latest smart bombs developed by the United States and other NATO countries. Compared with the KAB-500, the lower weight of the KAB-250’s warhead allows its employment even in densely built-up areas.

The KAB-250 is of modular design. There are two versions - the satellite-guided KAB-250S and the laser-guided KAB-250LG. The KAB-250 was developed in response to the US-made Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) family equipping the US Air Force’s fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 fighters.

The KAB-250LG laser beam-riding blast-fragmentation bomb is designed to destroy soft-skinned vehicles, railway stations, ammunition and arms depots and other enemy installations. The bomb can be used both solo and in series by aircraft outfitted with laser target designators or it can go for targets designated for them by somebody else.