The FAB-500 is a Soviet-designed general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead, primarily used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, former Soviet republics and customer countries. The original M-54 model was rolled out in 1954, shaped for internal carriage by heavy bombers, a low-drag M-62 version in 1962 was intended for fighter bomber external hardpoint carriage. The bomb is unguided, features a single nose fuze, and is compatible with most models of Soviet aircraft.
Operational history
The FAB-500 was widely employed over Afghanistan by Soviet and allied Afghan forces during the 1980s and saw use during the Syrian civil war where it was carried by both Russian and Syrian warplanes. The M62 variant of the FAB-500 was used by Russian military forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 13 March 2022 and 14 May 2022, FAB-500 bombs were found in Ukrainian cities Chernihiv and Odesa.
In March 2023, Russian Su-35s have launched a number of FAB-500M-62, wreckage of which indicates that these have been fitted with a glide kit, involving pop-out wings. It's unknown whether it has an internal navigation system, or has been fitted with wings simply to extend its range to up to 70 km. It also is believed to give Russian aircraft a stand-off ability to hit Ukrainian targets without risking exposure to Ukrainian air defences.
As of May 2023, converted FAB-500 glide bombs continued to be used by Russia in Ukraine, with up to 20 of them being dropped every day, and Ukrainian air defences lack the capability to intercept them.
According to the Institute for the Study of War a FAB-500: “hold an explosive weight of 150 kilograms, have a damage radius of 250 meters, and can destroy headquarters, warehouses, and concrete and reinforced concrete objects.”
Operational envelope (FAB-500 M-62)
Release altitude: Release speed:
Variants
FAB-500 M-54 (ФАБ-500 М-54) – 1954 model, original high-drag model intended for internal carriage on heavy bombers, featuring a ballistic ring on the nose of the bomb to act as a vortex generator to aid the bomb's stabilizers. FAB-500 M-62 (ФАБ-500 М-62) – 1962 model, low-drag model designed for external carriage on hardpoints on fighter-bombers. FAB-500 M-62T – heat-resistant, capable of withstanding high-temperature aerodynamic heating, arising during flight at high speeds. Developed for the MiG-25RB. FAB-500 M-62 MPK (ФАБ-500 М-62 с МПК) FAB-500T (ФАБ-500Т) FAB-500TA (ФАБ-500ТА) FAB-500ShN (ФАБ-500ШН) – parachute retarded thin cased bomb FAB-500ShL (ФАБ-500ШЛ) – parachute retarded high explosive bomb FAB-500 M46 (ФАБ-500 М46) FAB-500 M44 (ФАБ-500 М44) FAB-500 M43 (ФАБ-500 М43) FAB-500-300 (ФАБ-500-300) – thick cased high explosive FAB-500TS (ФАБ-500ТС) – thick cased high explosive and fragmentation FAB-500TSM (ФАБ-500ТСМ) OFAB-500 (ОФАБ-500) – general purpose high explosive fragmentation bomb (contains 3 x 150 kg submunitions) OFAB-500U (ОФАБ-500У) – delayed action fragmentation bomb OFAB-500ShR (ОФАБ-500ШP) – parachute retarded fragmentation bomb