The Ukrainian design bureau Medoid is working on a domestic analog of russia’s Universal Gliding and Correction Module (UMPK). This system, which converts a conventional aerial bomb into a precision-guided glide bomb, has already entered the testing phase.
Defense Express has obtained, with the developer’s permission, exclusive video footage showing a Ukrainian KAB being released from a Su-24 frontline bomber during level flight.
Read more: NATO, Ukraine Test Means Against russian Guided Aerial Bombs, Plan to Deploy Them This Year
The developers deliberately avoided unnecessary innovation in the external design, choosing instead to replicate the general form of the russian UMPK to save time and speed up deployment. Internally, however, the system has been modified with the goal of achieving higher precision.
"The guidance and glide module for the 500-kg bomb is entirely our own design. The wings are easy to attach, taking just a few minutes, and there are no issues with integration," said Oleh Vostrykh, a representative of the Medoid design bureau, in comments to Defense Express. "Ukrainian companies are responsible for most of the production. The navigation module is domestic, although we are currently considering testing a new system developed by a leading French company. It’s designed to ensure maximum resilience and protection against electronic warfare. Still, there are some components we are forced to import."
As of now, Ukraine’s domestically developed KAB is already demonstrating glide capability over 60 kilometers and is successfully striking designated targets. According to the developers, this range meets the operational requirements defined jointly by the design bureau and the Ministry of Defense. However, work is already underway to extend the strike range to 80 kilometers. While the theoretical maximum could reach up to 100 kilometers if released from an altitude of 10 kilometers, actual performance will depend on tactical application.
"We are currently in the testing phase," said Vostrykh. "Initial trials have been conducted from a Su-24 bomber in level flight and have produced positive results, particularly in terms of range and glide behavior of the bomb. Around ten more test drops are required, after which the product must pass a Ministry of Defense evaluation. Right now, the main barrier to rapid progress is funding."
To help overcome this challenge, the Medoid Design Bureau has launched a Charitable Foundation for Advanced Technologies, which is actively fundraising to complete the test cycle.
"We’re looking for every possible opportunity," Vostrykh added. "The cost of one unit is approximately 1.2 million hryvnias, or around $25,000. At this stage, lack of funding is arguably the main factor holding back completion of the project and its transition to serial production."
The demand for long-range guided bombs among Ukrainian forces is extremely high, at least 100 units per day. Western-supplied solutions such as the JDAM-ER, AASM Hammer, and GBU-39/B SDB do not fully meet this operational requirement. That is why the Ukrainian glide bomb is not only necessary, but also cost-effective. Even at the prototype stage, its production cost is already lower than that of most Western counterparts.
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