INTRODUCTION
In early 2022, the Russian Armed Forces initiated an aggressive military operation against Ukraine. This operation, which was intended to be a short-term campaign against what was perceived as a weak and disorganized Ukrainian military, was unexpectedly halted by a strong Ukrainian defense. Contrary to initial expectations, the Ukrainian military demonstrated significant resilience, which turned the conflict for the Russian Federation from a quick military operation to a prolonged and extensive conflict, the biggest military operation in Europe since World War II.
As the conflict continued, the Russian military needed to adapt its strategy and equipment to address the strong and modern defenses of the Ukrainian forces, which were supported by Western weapon systems. One of the challenges the Russian Air Force faced was the use of outdated, unguided bombs known as FABs, which were ineffective due to the lack of precision and exposing aircrafts using them to Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems due to the limited range from the target from which the aircrafts could launch the bombs.3
To improve their effectiveness, the Russian military adopted a concept similar to one widely used by Western forces: gliding bomb kits. These kits can be attached to traditional free-falling bombs, allowing them to glide several kilometers from the launch point and use Global Positioning System (GPS) for greater precision.5 This innovation, known as the universal planning and correction module (UMPK) (rus. универсальный модуль планирования и коррекции), has been acknowledged as a cost-effective and efficient addition to existing aviation armament.
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