Ukraine has built its first-ever glide bomb after almost a year and a half of development. The new weapon is cheaper than US-made alternatives, according to DG Industry information shared exclusively with Business Insider.
The new glide bomb, called the “Vyrivniuvach” in Ukrainian or “Equalizer” in English, is designed to be carried by a range of aircraft, according to industry information shared by Brave1, Kyiv’s national platform for developing defense technologies and a key player in Ukraine’s push to build more weapons at home.
On Monday, Brave1 released a video announcement that the new DG Industry-made glide bomb is ready for combat deployment after completing “all required trials.”
The Vyrivniuvach includes a 250kg warhead, is designed to hit targets deep behind enemy lines, and was built from scratch, “not copied from Western or Soviet systems,” Brave1 added.
The weapon was designed with high-precision targeting and compatibility with current Ukrainian aircraft and systems, a Brave1 representative told Business Insider. It’s able to be launched from Ukraine’s F-16 and Mirage jets, but it’ll need additional certification for use. The bomb also has modern guidance algorithms that promote better targeting and accuracy.
Ukraine’s “pilots are currently rehearsing combat scenarios and adapting the new weapon system for use in real wartime conditions,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on social media. “Soon, Ukrainian glide bombs will be striking enemy targets.
The bomb is said to be significantly cheaper than its Western equivalents. The Vyrivniuvach costs approximately three times less than the US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range, which Ukraine also has in its arsenal, the Brave1 representative told Business Insider, relaying DG Industry information.
The Vyrivniuvach can also be deployed regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Preparation to deploy the weapon takes up to 30 minutes.
Ukraine has previously relied on JDAM-ER kits from the US and European allies. JDAM-ERs are unguided bombs fitted with guidance kits and wings, turning them into longer-range precision glide weapons that let aircraft strike targets from farther outside Russian air defenses.
Russia and Ukraine have both used glide bombs over the course of the war, but Russia, especially, has leaned on them heavily, converting Soviet-era bombs with wings and guidance kits to strike Ukrainian front-line positions and cities from far beyond the reach of Ukraine’s air defenses. Russia has built some that weigh 3,000 kilograms, able to devastate an area, and it’s expanding production.
Glide bombs are difficult to counter because they have small radar signatures, have short flight times, and fly on non-ballistic trajectories. Taking out the launch aircraft is often the priority, but they tend to fire the weapon from stand-off ranges out of reach.
Ukraine first received JDAM-ERs from the US in early 2023 and has since sought thousands more. Earlier this month, the US approved a potential sale of additional GBU-62 JDAM-ER precision-guided bombs, with the State Department saying the weapons would improve Ukraine’s ability to respond to current and future threats.
The new Vyrivniuvach is the latest example of Ukraine’s push to develop more of the weapons and technology it needs at home rather than rely on partner nations. Ukrainian companies have shown they can build some of these systems quickly, cheaply, and at scale, drawing growing attention from Kyiv’s allies and partners.
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