Ukraine is actively adapting its military aircraft for the use of Western aerial bombs, Forbes reports. This step is caused by the impression of the destructive power of the Russian planned aerial bombs, which cause significant losses to the Ukrainian forces.
However, the partners will not be able to provide Ukraine with the same number of bombs that Russia produces, the publication notes.
The 1,100- and 2,200-pound KAB glide bombs are "miracle weapons." And the Ukrainians have "practically no" countermeasures. But they can strike back with their own planning bombs. These are the American JDAM-ER munition and the French AASM, as well as the so-called SDB small-diameter bomb with a planning range of up to 69 miles.
To that end, the Ukrainian Air Force is converting its 40 or 50 surviving MiG-29 fighters, and possibly dozens of remaining Su-27 fighters, into precision-guided bombers.
This is an important development as the tiny Ukrainian air force - only a hundred ex-Soviet aircraft in several brigades - struggles to match the devastating glider bombing campaign of the much larger Russian air force, which has hundreds of Su-30s, Su-34s and Su-35s with four or even six CABs for each departure, the American publication writes.
With the arrival of 85 ex-European F-16 fighter jets this summer, the Ukrainian Air Force will have enough aircraft to match the pace of Russian bombing. What the Ukrainians will clearly lack are bombs.
According to Forbes, it is extremely unlikely that Ukraine's allies will donate more than a few hundred cruise bombs per month - perhaps only a tenth of what Ukraine needs to match Russia's aerial firepower.
