Russia has begun using modernized guided bombs — so-called CABs/glider munitions with added jet engines — which significantly increase their range and place a new strain on Ukraine’s already strained air defense system. The use of such munitions has been reported by the Financial Times and a number of Ukrainian publications.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, modernized Soviet guided bombs (KAB), which were previously dropped from aircraft at a distance of about 80 km, are partially equipped with small turbojet engines. This allows for an increase in flight range - in some cases up to about 200 km, which makes it possible to hit targets far in the rear. In the photos of the wreckage published by experts, a Chinese turbojet engine, available for open sale, is seen.
Experts call such solutions a "cheap replacement for cruise missiles": they make it possible to target energy infrastructure and military facilities, but with a smaller warhead load - about 250 kg. At the same time, the production and use of such ammunition is much cheaper than standard cruise missiles.
Adding an engine allows glider bombs to be launched from a safer distance — carrier aircraft can launch much further from the front line and sea areas, making them more difficult to hit by Ukrainian air defenses. According to GUR representatives, the enemy is still testing this weapon in combat conditions, but has already had its first hits on Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Poltava regions.
At the same time, such solutions have limitations: due to the mass of the engine and structural limitations, the payload is reduced - effective warheads are limited to approximately 250 kg. Also, part of the flight can be made reactive only during the acceleration phase, then the munition plans to the target. Despite this, experts point to the risk of large-scale use in the event of production.
The Ukrainian air defense system already fights many simultaneous threats — cruise and ballistic missiles, massive drone strikes (including Iranian-made ones), and now — jet gliders. The level of interception of Russian missiles, according to analysis, has decreased in recent months, which increases the threat to civilian infrastructure. At the same time, the cost of defense is increasing: Western anti-aircraft missiles (such as Patriot) are much more expensive per unit than cheap jet gliders, which creates an economic imbalance.
The President of Ukraine and the military leadership emphasize the need for multi-component air defense and supplies from abroad; meanwhile, the enemy is working on modernizing ballistic weapons, making interception even more difficult.
— According to the deputy head of Ukrainian intelligence, Vadym Skibitsky, some gliders are already equipped with jet engines, which has significantly increased their range.
— The head of the Air Force communications department, Yuriy Ignat, noted that the characteristics of the ammunition can be “roughly comparable” to cruise missiles, but so far their use is limited — the Russian Federation is testing them “in combat conditions.” They, he said, can be hit by electronic warfare and anti-aircraft weapons.
— Military experts warn: if Russia starts mass production of such gliders, this will create a long-term and cheap threat that will be more difficult to repel economically and technologically.
Jet gliders are an evolution of a tried-and-true practice: the modification of Soviet munitions with wings, guidance, and now jet engines. This temporarily gives Russia the ability to strike deep into the rear without significant risk to its aircraft. If deployed on a large scale, this will place new demands on Ukrainian defense and Western aid.
