Ukrainian defense industry is moving to a new stage of development. Several domestic companies have begun developing guided glide bombs capable of striking targets at a significant distance from the front line. A key feature of the new models will be the presence of turbojet engines, which will allow munitions to be launched beyond the range of enemy air defenses.
Scaling up production
Official confirmation of these plans was given by Brigadier General Andriy Lebedenko, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, the task of creating domestic guided glide bombs was set back in 2024. Currently, there are already seven manufacturers in the country working on this task.
Lebedenko noted that a whole school of specialists capable of developing gliding modules has emerged in the country. The introduction of turbojet engines into the bomb design will increase their range of use by 100–200 kilometers. This is critical for pilot safety and strike effectiveness.
Response to the enemy's mass production
The need to increase domestic production is dictated by the statistics of the enemy's weapon usage. Last year, Russian forces used more than 60,000 bombs. In the face of such a massive attack, Ukraine has to find a balance between quantity and quality.
"There are enough platforms for launching guided glide bombs, and they are constantly being improved. Therefore, if manufacturers can scale up production capabilities, Ukraine will be able to launch more of them," the general stated. At the same time, he emphasized that competing with the volume of Russian launches is difficult, so special attention is paid to the accuracy of target engagement.
"Leveler" and new standards
One of the first results of the engineers' work was the development of a guided glide bomb called "Leveler" (Vyvarnyuvach). It is equipped with a warhead weighing about 250 kilograms and is designed to strike targets in the enemy's deep rear. The system is adapted for use with Ukrainian combat aircraft, including F-16s and Mirages, although full utilization requires additional certification.
"Leveler" uses modern guidance algorithms, which significantly increases accuracy. In terms of cost, this munition is approximately three times cheaper than American JDAM-ER analogues. In addition, it demonstrates high versatility: it can be used at any time of day and in any weather conditions. Preparation for use takes no more than 30 minutes.
Development of the missile program
Alongside glide bombs, Ukraine is increasing missile production. Currently, the country produces about three "Flamingo" missiles per day. It is expected that after switching to the use of a domestic engine, production rates will be increased.
Developments of FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles are also underway. They are positioned as potential analogues of American ATACMS missiles. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of these Ukrainian developments will be approximately half that of Western analogues, which will make strikes more accessible and frequent.
