Targeting Russia: AASM Hammer used by Ukraine to hit key posts

Although the Kherson segment of the front is relatively calm, the hunt for valuable targets continues. One such target was a Russian observation post hidden in a building above the Dnipro River, on which the Ukrainians decided to drop an AASM Hammer glide bomb from a MiG-29 aircraft. We explain the uniqueness of these bombs compared to other solutions.

The use of glide bombs is reserved only for important targets, particularly in the case of Ukrainians, who have a very limited number of operational aircraft. The Russian observation post on the opposite bank of the Dnipro near Nova Kakhovka was classified into this category.

Using a bomb weighing at least 250 kg has many advantages compared to an artillery shell. First, such an aerial bomb contains over 100 kg of TNT instead of a maximum of 10 kg for a 155 mm shell and has high kinetic energy, which allows it to penetrate through earthworks or thick walls more easily. As a result, in practice, there is nothing left to collect at the point of impact, as clearly seen in the video below.

The Ukrainians received a number of AASM Hammer bombs (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) from France, which are most often used on MiG-29 aircraft. However, there are also cases of them being carried by Su-25 aircraft. Conceptually, AASM Hammer bombs are modules similar to JDAM-ER that are mounted on classic unguided bombs but have several exceptionally unique features.

The first difference is the use of a rocket booster in addition to deployable wings, which further accelerates the bomb at launch, increasing its kinetic energy. It affects, to some extent, the range when dropped from a high altitude, where the AASM Hammer allows for targeting objectives over a distance of more than 70 km. Still, the greatest significance is during low-altitude drops.

Classic glide bombs would fall in such conditions after a few kilometres, while the AASM Hammer with a rocket booster allows destroying targets 14 km from the release point. This range is greater than that possessed by, for example, the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems.

The second important issue is the interchangeable guidance heads, which can be adapted to battlefield conditions. The basic module includes inertial and satellite navigation guidance, allowing for the attack of stationary targets. It is an inexpensive solution, but susceptible to electronic warfare systems that reduce hit precision, as demonstrated by the Russians.

Meanwhile, the other two options are more expensive or harder to implement but ensure hit precision within a metre under all conditions, even against a moving target. The first is a laser-guided head that requires the target to be illuminated by a beam from the aircraft or, for instance, a drone until the moment of impact.

The most interesting, however, is the second "fire-and-forget" solution based on an optoelectronic head that sees the thermal image of the target and autonomously follows the designated object based on uploaded algorithms. This allows for the maximum chance of eliminating the target with minimal exposure of the aircraft to being shot down, but the drawback of this version is its high cost.