Ukrainian MiG-29 dropped 8 GBU-39 bombs on the invaders
5 November, 2024 GBU-39 SDB bombs under the wing of an aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Forces. May 2024. Photo credits: MilitaryAviationInUa (@MilAviaUA)
A MiG-29 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force struck at the Russian invaders, using 8 GBU-39 SDB guided munitions at once. The Soniashnyk (Sunflower -Ed.) Telegram channel published the video of the combat work of Ukrainian aviation. According to this channel, a Ukrainian fighter jet hit the places where the invaders' assault groups were concentrated and where ammunition was stored in the Zaporizhzhia region.
It is claimed that the MiG-29 of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force struck the Russian soldiers. "Aviation continues to operate in all directions, MiG-29 of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade strikes with 8 SDB guided munitions at once at the place of concentration of the invaders' assault groups and the ammunition depot on the Orikhiv sector," the statement reads. The video captures a Ukrainian fighter jet dropping 8 American GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) guided munitions almost simultaneously.
Later, the footage shows the damage to several objects on the ground.
A Ukrainian MiG-29 drops GBU-39 bombs. Fall of 2024. Frame from the video of the Soniashnyk Telegram channel
The Telegram channel promised to soon publish the second part of the video with further footage of the destruction of the objects where the Russian invaders were present.
The report emphasized that the use of 8 bombs at once allows Ukrainian aircraft to hit targets in different locations, which may be far from each other. At the end of September this year, it was announced that the United States ordered new batches of GBU-39/B small diameter bombs for its Air Force and foreign customers, in particular, for Ukraine. Back in May, it was reported that the Ukrainian Air Force adapted Soviet-era combat aircraft to use American GBU-39 bombs.
Such small-diameter bombs can also be used by Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets.
GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
Illustrative photo of GBU-39. Photo from open sources
GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is an American light high-precision aircraft bomb that weighs 130 kilograms and has a diameter of about 190 mm and a length of about 1.8 m. Its maximum range is up to 110 km, provided that it is dropped from a high altitude.
The bomb's wings are released in flight, significantly increasing its range. When diving at a target from a high altitude, the tungsten tip can penetrate concrete shelters. According to The Washington Post, these bombs have proven to be resistant to interference from Russian electronic warfare systems.
Their small size also makes them difficult for Russian air defense systems to detect and intercept.