Ukrainian Su‑25 bombing capability upgraded with French tech
A mysterious plane carrying weapons previously modified for completely different aircraft appeared over Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, the Su-25 attacker was carrying an AASM Hammer bomb.
Until recently, Ukrainians had only one aircraft model capable of carrying the AASM Hammer weapon. Initially, it was the MiG-29, but a few weeks after first observing this type of ammunition under Ukrainian aircraft, it was discovered that the defender's army had also managed to adapt the Su-27 to carry the Hammers.
As Unian reports, another aircraft joins the list of machines capable of air-launching AASM. An attack Su-25 with a French bomb appeared over Ukraine.
While this is good news for the Ukrainian armed forces, experts caution that it may be a sign of dwindling stocks of unguided missiles, prompting the military to find another use for the Su-25 due to the lack of previously used ammunition.
Ukrainian Su-25 with French AASM Hammer bomb
The AASM Hammer (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range), recently observed on an aircraft not previously adapted to carry this type of ammunition, is a system generally comparable to the American JDAM/ER.
French technology is designed to integrate with standard Mk 82/83/84 bombs weighing approximately 230, 460, and 920 kg, respectively. When comparing this weapon to its American counterpart, one detail that sets the European tool apart from JDAM is the presence of a rocket engine, significantly impacting the overall usability of the weapon.
This engine allows pilots of aircraft carrying the AASM Hammer to drop bombs from low altitudes, which is vital for the Su-25 given their low operational ceiling, further demonstrating another advantage of the French technology: the ability to hide the Hammers from enemy radar, made possible by a phenomenon called the radar horizon.
Two navigation systems—satellite and inertial — are responsible for the AASM Hammer's precision. Some variants of this French weapon also feature even more precise warheads, with an accuracy estimated at a maximum of 1 meter.
The Su-25 aircraft, adapted by Ukrainians to carry the Hammers, is designed for frontline combat operations and to support ground troops from the air.
Its performance determines this – primarily a maximum speed of around 950 km/h and a maximum ceiling of 7,000 meters at which the Su-25 can operate. For this reason, it is an aircraft easy to shoot down – which is confirmed by recent reports from the front, where Russians are losing this machine en masse. Russians are losing this machine en masse (both sides of the conflict use the Su-25).
Although the Su-25 is small, weighing only about 10,000 kg and measuring about 15 meters in length, it can carry armament with a total weight exceeding 4,000 kilograms. Furthermore, it is very manoeuvrable, making it easier to avoid potential threats from the ground. Its basic version has a range of about 500 km, necessitating flights close to allied military bases.
