The Ukrainian Air Force’s multi-role fighter MiG-29 has been modified to use the latest French air bombs, the Air-to-Ground Modular Munitions (A2SM or AASM) “Hammer.”
The related photographs were shared on the Telegram channel “National Information Portal ‘Pressure.'”
In the, one can see a Ukrainian MiG-29 on one of the hardpoints, with a French air bomb placed.
According to Ukrainian media, AASM 250 HAMMER was deployed against Russian positions on the left bank of the Kherson region.
OSINT researchers from the OSINTtechnical project on Twitter discovered that the strike was carried out against the Russians in the settlement of Kozachi Lagery. This is not the first instance of Ukrainian aircraft deploying French guided air bombs. Earlier, the Ukrainian media said that the Ukrainian Air Force deployed AASM 250 to hit the Avdiivka coke chemical factory, where the Russians were stationed.
In 2022, a solution was found to allow the MiG-29 to use the American AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile), designed to destroy enemy radars, by attaching the LAU-118/A pylon, specific to this missile, to a standard pylon, installing an external battery to provide power, and connecting it all to the radar sensor installed in the aircraft’s cockpit via a cable. The similar work was done on the Su-27 “Flanker.”
In addition to the AGM-88 HARM, the Ukrainian Air Force has JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition), which are Mk82 bombs with an inertial navigation system (INS) and a GPS receiver that can be dropped from a safe distance.
However, the transfer of Polish and Slovak MiG-29s that had been upgraded to NATO specifications (avionics, MIL-STD-1533B data bus, IFF Mark XIIA system, etc.) likely aided Ukrainian technicians. To implement the JDAM-ER, they had to develop a special pylon, the specifics of which remain unknown.
This pylon appears to be capable of allowing Ukrainian MiG-29s to load France-supplied AASM 250 Hammer. The Ukrainian specialised website Defence Express came to this conclusion after viewing a photograph of a MiG-29 equipped with an A2SM for the first aircraft.
AASM Hammer
AASM is an upgrade kit for existing free-fall unguided bombs, similar to the American JDAM, which are already in use by Ukrainian tactical aviation.
The kit is divided into two parts: the front, which includes a navigation system and wings, and the back, which includes a booster meant to enhance flight range.
France has two types of bomb kits: Hammer-250 (227 kg Mk. 82 bombs) and Hammer-1000 (908 kg Mk. 84 bombs).
The nose section of the AASM modification kit can be outfitted with three different guidance systems: inertial with GPS correction, inertial with thermal imaging seeker, or similar with laser guidance.
According to the developer’s information, the first sort of system has a 10 metre accuracy, whilst the other two have only one metre.
Guided bombs equipped with thermal imaging and laser guidance systems are resistant to opponent electronic warfare systems.
According to reports, 764 sets of AASM with inertial guidance systems, 384 sets with thermal imaging seekers, and 600 sets with laser guidance were produced in 2016 at the request of the French Ministry of Defence.
The range of such weapons varies depending on the launch height and beginning velocity, although official data indicates that it ranges from 15 to 70 km. In 2022, the manufacturer also announced a new booster for Hammer-1000 kits, which is expected to provide a range of 15 to 200 kilometres, but it is unclear whether France has ordered these kits.
