Ukrainian pilots demonstrate launching of American Zuni missiles from Su-25 (video)
Since the beginning of 2023, the United States has begun supplying Ukraine with Zuni unguided air defense missiles. They are designed to hit enemy ground targets.
The Ukrainian military demonstrated the preparation for the flight and the use of American Zuni unguided air-to-ground missiles from a Su-25 attack aircraft. This was reported on the YouTube channel of Mazut SD.
In the published video, the military demonstrates various episodes of the use of Zuni missiles by Ukrainian attack aircraft. The U.S. is providing Ukraine with shells as part of military aid. As you can see from the video, the ammunition is launched from the cabling. To do this, the pilot lifts the nose of the Su-25 and launches a missile. This way, the Zuni flies over the canopy area. The pilots reach the target at a low altitude to avoid being detected by Russian air defense radars.
Zuni are American 127-mm aircraft missiles. It is designed to hit ground targets such as fortifications, enemy convoys, and other objects. It is known that launching missiles requires the LAU-10 launch container, which has 4 guides. The Ukrainian army received unguided missiles for the first time in January 2023. The weight of the Zuni warhead ranges from 20.7 to 25.6 kg, depending on the type of engine and warhead. The range is up to 8 km. The Soviet S-13 missile is a copy of the Zuni.
