KAB-500S / KAB-1500S Guided Glide Bombs
RussianKAB-500S / KAB-1500S-E (incl. UMPK glide kit variants)
The KAB-500S and KAB-1500S are Russian satellite-guided bombs, and the UMPK (Unified Glide and Correction Module) is a kit that converts standard unguided FAB-500 and FAB-1500 bombs into long-range glide weapons. Russia deployed glide-bomb strikes at an unprecedented industrial scale from 2024 onward, dropping thousands of UMPK-equipped bombs monthly against Ukrainian defensive positions, cities, and infrastructure.
Primary Role
Mass destruction of Ukrainian frontline defensive positions, fortifications, cities, and industrial infrastructure — primary Russian tactical breakthrough tool from 2024
First documented use in Ukraine: 2022-06
Specifications
| KAB-500S warhead | 227 kg (total weapon ~560 kg) |
| KAB-1500S warhead | ~1,000 kg (total weapon ~1,525 kg) |
| UMPK FAB-500M62 range | ~50–70 km (at high altitude) |
| UMPK FAB-1500M54 range | ~40–60 km (at high altitude) |
| Guidance | GLONASS/GPS + INS; some variants with optical terminal seeker |
| CEP | ~5–10 m (GLONASS guidance) |
| Launch platforms | Su-34, Su-35S, Su-30SM |
✓ Strengths
- •Massive warhead — FAB-1500 can destroy multi-story reinforced concrete structures
- •Launched from 50–70 km — Su-34 stays outside most Ukrainian MANPADS and short-range SAM coverage
- •GPS/GLONASS guided — accurate enough to hit specific buildings
- •Cheap UMPK conversion kit on surplus FAB-500/1500 gravity bombs — enables high volume attacks
- •Difficult to intercept — glide bombs lack engine exhaust, limiting IR-guided SAM effectiveness
⚠ Limitations
- •GPS/GLONASS guidance susceptible to Ukrainian jamming near contested areas
- •Aircraft must approach within 50–70 km — within range of some Ukrainian long-range SAMs
- •Accuracy degrades in GPS-denied environments — may miss precise point targets
- •Requires clear launch aircraft visibility to guide on approximate release course
Notable Use
Russia dropped an estimated 3,000–5,000 UMPK glide bombs per month in 2024–2025, the single largest aerial bombardment campaign in Europe since WWII. A single FAB-1500 can destroy an entire fortified Ukrainian position. The mass campaign was critical to Russian tactical breakthroughs at Avdiivka (Feb 2024), Chasiv Yar, and the Pokrovsk direction advance.
Ukraine War Context
Russian glide bombs became Ukraine's most feared threat from 2024. Russia exploited the fact that Ukrainian air defenses (Patriot, NASAMS) had limited interceptor stocks and could not engage every glide bomb salvo. Ukraine urgently requested additional air defense interceptors from Western allies to counter the KAB/UMPK campaign. Ukraine responded by deploying long-range ATACMS, drones, and F-16s to target Russian Su-34 airfields far behind the front, attempting to suppress the source of glide bomb launches.