Adaptation of the arsenal: Russia turns conventional RBK-500s into planning bombs with the help of UMPK
The use of the RBK-500 with the UMPK allows the enemy to drop these bombs outside the range of Ukraine’s main air defense assets, while the cluster munition itself eliminates the issue of accuracy, and the planning kit eliminates the issue of reliability due to its mass production.
As early as November-December 2023, there was information that Russia had begun using airborne cluster bombs that could be planned. Given that the enemy’s arsenal includes both specially designed planning bombs such as RBK-500U “Drill” and well-known UMPK kits, the question remained as to which bombs the occupier was using.
The difference between these options is quite significant, because the first one involves a specially created separate and new ammunition that must be produced from scratch. The second is the installation of a kit on the existing RBK-500 cluster bombs, which is mass-produced in the city of Korolev near Moscow.
But given the photos that have appeared online, it is possible to say that the Russian Federation did install a UMPC on a conventional cluster bomb. Judging by the labeling of the planning kit itself, “UMPK500,” it is most likely the RBC-500. But we note that there is a smaller version of this cluster bomb, the RBK-250.
The type of RBK-500 equipment, according to the marking, is Shoab-0.5 anti-personnel cluster submunitions. Each such bomb is equipped with 650 such sub-elements weighing 417 grams, which contain ready-made warheads in the form of 304 steel balls and a 40-gram powder charge.
The bomb is opened by disconnecting the tail section. And despite its non-aerodynamic shape, the RBC-500 can be used with a nose fairing. The RBK-500 can also be equipped with high-explosive or concrete-piercing submunitions – up to 10 rounds, and anti-tank submunitions – 15 rounds.
Thus, the appearance of the RBK-500 with the UMPK in the enemy’s arsenal is a rather significant threat, as it is a cheap means of delivering cluster munitions over long distances without entering the area of operation of the SAM. It is not known how far the RBK-500 with the UMPK can fly, but an airburst bomb can fly with this kit to a range of 60-70 km.
At the same time, the use of cluster munitions to some extent eliminates the issue of accuracy, and the number of RBK-500 with UMPK is a matter of reliability.
After all, the Ukrainian Air Force has already demonstrated that it can shoot down Russian aircraft using UMD systems. But this obviously requires quite carefully planned operations, the successful implementation of which leads to a real massacre of the VKS ranks. of the Russian Federation. For example, on December 22, three Su-34 frontline bombers were shot down simultaneously, and on December 25, one Su-30SM and one Su-34 multirole fighter were shot down.
