The FAB-250 is a Soviet-designed
general purpose air-dropped bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
with a
high-explosive warhead
A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket (weapon), rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
*E ...
, primarily used by the
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...
, former Soviet republics and customer countries. It is very widespread throughout the Third World and used in many conflicts in Asia and Africa among others.
The original M-46 model was rolled out in 1946, followed by the M-54 model 1954 with reinforced structure, both models shaped for internal carriage by heavy bombers, a low-drag M-62 version in 1962 was intended for fighter bomber external hardpoint carriage.
The bomb is unguided, features a single nose fuse, and is compatible with most models of
Soviet aircraft. The FAB-250 was extensively employed
over Afghanistan by Soviet and allied Afghan forces during the 1980s. The FAB-250 has been used most recently over
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
by both Russian and Syrian warplanes.
Ethiopia used it during the
Tigray War.
During the 2022
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
Russia adapted FAB-250 bombs and equipped them with planning and correction modules (
UMPK) containing
Inertial navigation system
An inertial navigation system (INS; also inertial guidance system, inertial instrument) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning th ...
similar to the adaptions made to FAB-500 M-62 bombs, the FAB-250 M-62 is lighter and more aerodynamic than the heavier FAB-500 M-62, which means it is less destructive but has a longer gliding range which has been stated as 80 kilometres, this reduces the likelihood of Russian aircraft when deploying the adapted bombs of being hit by Ukrainian
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
systems.
According to the
Institute for the Study of War FAB-250 bombs "weigh 250 kilograms, hold an explosive weight of 99 kilograms, have a damage radius of 120 meters, and can destroy manpower, equipment, and light fortifications."
On 29 January 2025, Bloomberg reported that Russian oil shipments through the port of
Ust-Luga were suspended due to an overnight strike by Ukrainian drones. The SBU claimed the Andreapol oil pumping station was struck. The is part of the
Baltic Pipeline System-II run by
Transneft, a Russian state owned company. A fire and oil spill were reported. The attack is noted for using drones that dropped FAB-250 M-54 bombs. Which indicates a reusable drone instead of a “kamikaze-type”.
Variants
* FAB-250 M-46 – 1946 model, original high-drag model intended for internal carriage on heavy bombers, thin walls.
* FAB-250 M-54 – 1954 model, improved high-drag model with reinforced structure.
* FAB-250 M-62 – 1962 model, low-drag model designed for external carriage on hardpoints on fighter-bombers.
See also
*
FAB-500
The FAB-500 is a Soviet-designed general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead, primarily used by the Russian Aerospace Forces, former Soviet republics and customer countries. The original M-54 model was rolled out in 1954, ...
*
Mark 82 bomb - American counterpart
*
Soviet and Russian aerial bombs
Soviet Union and Russia, Russian Federation developed a range of aerial bombs for use on its aircraft.
Naming
The name of the bomb consists of the type of bomb (FAB-250M-46), its caliber in kilograms (FAB-250M-46), model by year of adoption (FAB ...
References
Cold War aerial bombs of the Soviet Union
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1946
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