FAB M54
Overview
FAB-500 M54
Soviet design FAB-500 M54 general purpose aviation bomb on display.
Source: Vitaly V. Kuzmin -
© GNU Attribution - Share Alike license
Russia
FAB / Fugasnaya Aviatsionnaya Bomba
Russian for "high explosive aviation bomb"
Russia
Description
Introduction
The FAB M54 is a series of general purpose bombs of Soviet origin. As indicated by its designation the M54 series was introduced in the mid 1950's. These bombs feature an iconic ballistic stabilization ring on the nose section. The M54 series has been produced in very large numbers and exported to various nations that acquired Soviet aircraft.
Design
The M54 series was developed to replace the wide array of World War 2 era aviation bombs with a more unified general purpose design. The bombs are meant to be carried both internally in bomb bays and externally on hardpoints or ejector racks. To use as little of internal space these bombs have a quite stubby design. At the same time it was envisioned that these bombs were to be carried by jet powered aircraft, and perhaps be flown and dropped at speeds just above Mach 1.
Firepower
The M54 series of general purpose bombs is produced in three sizes for regular combat use. These range from 250 kg to 1.500 kg. Furthermore, some excessively large bombs of up to 9.000 kg were created in this pattern, these are described separately. These bombs are intended for the destruction of manpower and equipment in the field, as well as regular field fortifications and buildings. About half the weight of these bombs are high explosive filler. The outer casing creates a fragmentation effect.
Platforms
The FAB M54 series of bombs can be employed on a wide range of Soviet aircraft. These can be frontline fighter-bombers such as the Su-17, Su-22, Su-25, MiG-23BN and MiG-27. Tactical bomber aircraft such as the Il-28, Il-16, Su-24. Tactical bombers such as Tu-22 and Tu-95. And also on fighter aircraft pressed into the bomber role, such as MiG-21, MiG-23ML, MiG-29 and Su-27.
Users
The FAB M54 series of bombs has been produced in large numbers. These bombs are still marketed and exported, indicating that these are likely still in production. Practically all nations that acquired Soviet aircraft also adopted the FAB M54. Even when the more aerodynamically shaped FAB M62 series was introduced, the M54 remained widely used. On the main reasons is that the FAB M54 is shorter and probably cheaper to produce.
Variants
FAB-250 M54
250 kg class general purpose aviation bomb.
FAB-500 M54
500 kg class general purpose aviation bomb.
FAB-1500 M54
1.500 kg class general purpose aviation bomb.
Details
Media
FAB-500 M54
A total of 18 FAB-500 M54 general purpose aviation bombs seen on fuselage mounts on a Tu-22M bomber aircraft in 2008.
Source: Pavel Adzhigildaev @ www.russianplanes.net
Copyright: GNU Attribution - Share Alike license
FAB-500 M54
A Soviet FAB-500 M54 suspended on its suspension lugs.
Source: US Navy
Copyright: Public domain
FAB-500 M54
Rear view of Soviet designed FAB-500 M54 general purpose aviation bomb on display.
Source: Vitaly V. Kuzmin
Copyright: GNU Attribution - Share Alike license
Related articles
FAB M62
The FAB M54 series of general purpose bombs was supplemented by the FAB M62. These are streamlined low-drag bombs designed for external carriage by supersonic aircraft.
FZAB-500
FZAB-500 is an incendiary fragmentation bomb based on the FAB-500 M54 bomb casing.