Weapons

Brief History of Russian Air-to-Ground Cluster Bombs

Since the 1970s, the Soviets began using RBK-250 AO-1 cluster bombs dropping them from Su-17 bombers and Mi-24 attack helicopters. Each bomb had 150 little clusters and could cover the area of 4,800 square meters.

The bombs were effectively used during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the first Chechen war. A few Soviet planes, packed with RBK-250 bombs, could "re-design the mountainous landscape of Afghanistan" in front of terror-stricken Mujahedeen, according to TV Channel Zvezda.

Starting in the 1990s, the Russian military began to develop RBK-500 and PBK-500 cluster bombs with a special target-locking system. When a target is identified and bombs are dropped, the self-targeting technology accelerates munitions to a speed of up to 2,000 meters per second for maximum destruction.

Military experts say that when these bombs lock on their targets, whether it's an infantry vehicle, a tank or any other armored vehicle, they have virtually no chance of survival, Zvezda said. If a bomb doesn't hit its target, the self-destruct system will be activated and the bomb is eliminated.