Source: http://politikus.ru/industry/74555-smi-rossiyskie-letchiki-v-sirii-ispytali-unikalnuyu-protivotankovuyu-bombu.html

April 19, 2016

Translated by Eugenia

During the fighting in Aleppo, the Russian pilots tested a self-navigating aerial bomb capable of destroying any modern armored vehicle. Designed by Russian military engineers, modernized action elements SPBE-D for the aerial bomb RBK-500 are capable of selecting a target and destroying it with one hit.

СПБЭ-Д

The SPBE-D system in action

“Syria became a polygon for testing the Russian weapon systems. From the beginning of the Syrian campaign, this was the third use of SPBE-D. In the first case, it was evident that the ammunition was “old” – manufactured in the Soviet time. Today, judging by the new photos that shows unexploded ammunition, the Air-Cosmic Force used their new modifications” – said the newspaper “Isvestia” siting a well-known military expert Aleksey Rumm.

The action elements SPBE-D are positioned inside the aerial bomb and separated from it after the bomb is dropped gliding over the battlefield on parachutes. Then, using the built-in detection systems, they find appropriate targets and hit them. A target is destroyed by a so-called shock nucleus – a copper ingot that accelerates to the speed of 2 km/sec. The enemy armored vehicles are hit at the top, which is the least protected: with the ammunition capable of penetrating armor 150-160 mm thick, that ensures the destruction of the target.

“No modern tank, personnel carrier, or reinforced infrastructure object of the enemy can survive a hit of that “nucleus”. The RBK-500 SPBE-D was first used in 2008 in Georgia-Ossetia conflict in South Ossetia. At that time, the Russian multiple launch rocket systems “Smerch” (Tornado) equipped with the action elements SPBE-D destroyed an ammunition storage facilities of the Georgian Army. In Syria, the ammunition is used from the bombers Su-24” – explained the Editor of the journal “National Arsenal” and military expert Victor Mourakhovsky.

Importantly, SPBE-D, albeit extremely effective, cost less than guided aerial bombs and rockets that are traditionally used to combat armored vehicles. This allows for the use of this ammunition not only for the destruction of the armored units and infrastructure but also for saving money on expensive ammunition.