Ukrainian air force's adept use of MiGs with advanced bombs
The Ukrainian Air Force continues its attacks on Russian targets, primarily using MiGs as their main strike aircraft. We delve into the details of one of these bombing missions.
The Ukrainian Air Force is bolstering its capabilities with the delivery of F-16 aircraft. However, strike missions on ground targets, as seen in published footage, continue to be primarily carried out by the remaining fleet of MiG-29 aircraft. These have been revitalised with units provided by Poland and Slovakia.
MiG-29 aircraft typically carry American glide bombs GBU-39 SDB or the French AASM Hammer. The tactic involves flying at a low altitude and executing a TOSS manoeuvre when releasing the bombs. This involves the aircraft climbing sharply just before dropping the bombs and then descending swiftly after their release. The first stage of this manoeuvre can be clearly observed in the recording below, where a Ukrainian MiG-29 ascends steeply using afterburners.
TOSS tactic — a strategy that significantly increases the range of aerial bombs
This is a bombing technique developed during the Cold War, enabling aircraft to fly at low altitudes and high speeds and drop bombs without being directly above the target.
Such tactics provide effective defence against medium-range ground-based anti-aircraft systems due to the so-called radar horizon, which limits the reach of ground radars to a maximum of about 40 kilometres for low-flying objects. In simple terms, an air defence system with an S-300 range of over 100 kilometres will be unable to engage a target flying, for instance, at an altitude of 50-200 metres at a distance of less than 40 kilometres.
The only exception would be if an anti-aircraft battery received target information from another radar or an AWACS type aircraft, which is not constrained by a radar horizon since its radar is positioned high in the air. However, the Russians have very limited capabilities in this regard, with their only alternative being the use of tall masts for radar systems, which also have range limitations and make it easy to pinpoint the location of the key component of the air defence battery.
This provides Ukrainian pilots with the opportunity to conduct precise strikes even under current conditions, though they are not without losses. It is worth noting that the Russians recently downed a second F-16.
Ukrainian tactics and AASM Hammer bombs — a perfect combination
In the context of glide bombs, the Ukrainians have also received distinctive guided bombs AASM Hammer created by the French company Safran, which offer a significantly greater range under such conditions compared to their competitors.
A unique feature of the French bombs, often seen on MiGs, is the rocket booster that provides additional propulsion, enabling them to hit targets at distances of up to 15 kilometres despite being released at low altitude. This allows Ukrainian forces to attack targets secured by systems like the Pantir-S1 from a safe distance.
