Ukrainian Air Forces Su-25 strikes enemy buildings with Zuni rockets

15 October, 2024 A Zuni rockets on a Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft, November 2023. Photo from open sources Su-25 of the Ukrainian Air Force strikes buildings with Russian soldiers with US Zuni rockets.

The Telegram channel Soniashnyk published the video of the shelling. The video captures US 127-mm unguided rockets directly hitting the building where the Russian soldiers were stationed. It should be noted that the rockets were launched by the Su-25 attack aircraft of the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade, which regularly fly to support troops and shell enemy positions.

Toss release of unguided rockets, although quite difficult and with a low probability of hitting, allows covering areas and sometimes hitting enemy positions and fortifications.

Su-25 attack aircraft are capable of carrying 4 LAU-10 launchers equipped with four Zuni rockets. The first reports of the transfer of unguided rockets of this type to Ukraine were voiced in January 2023, when the Pentagon included 4,000 rockets in a military aid package. The first photos of Zuni mounted on a Su-25 attack aircraft were published online in May 2023.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, the then Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, posted them.

Launch of Zuni unguided rockets from the Mi-24 helicopter. Freeze frame from the video

In addition to photos of US missiles being used from Su-25s, the first video of Zuni being used from a Mi-24 helicopter launching them was released in October. In the video of the helicopter launch, the rocket is equipped with a Mk.24 high-explosive warhead.

The explosive weighs 4.3 kg, and the missile's diameter is 127 mm. The closest equivalent to Zuni rockets in the arsenal of aircraft armament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is considered the Soviet-era S-13 122-mm unguided rocket. However, in its fire range, the S-13 is significantly inferior to the Zuni rockets.

In addition, in the future, American missiles may become the main unguided rockets in the Ukrainian Air Force, replacing Soviet-era armaments.

As previously reported, the Ukrainian Air Force's Su-25 attack aircraft have been adapted to carry French AASM HAMMER high-precision bombs.