Introduction

The FAB M62 is a series of general purpose bombs of Soviet origin. As indicated by its designation the M62 series was introduced in the early 1960's. Their more aerodynamic design makes them more suitable for use on supersonic aircraft. The M62 family consist of a 100, 250, 500 and 1.000 kg version of which the FAB-250 M62 and FAB-500 M62 are most common

Design

The FAB M62 series of general purpose bombs is an improvement over the previous generations in two ways. First of all it is much more aerodynamic and has a reduced drag, especially at high speeds. Secondly the M62 series is filled with a more powerful type of explosive. The bombs feature a rather smooth nose cone and have four tailfins with a small ring at the end. The bombs are dropped using a bomb sight or bombing computer and do not feature any type of guidance.

Firepower

The FAB M62 series comes in four versions ranging from 100 to 1.000 kg. Roughly half the weight is made up out of high explosive, which is also more powerful than previous generations. The bombs can be released at altitudes between 500 meters and 12 km and at speeds ranging from 500 to 1.100 km/h. The kill radius of the FAB-250 and FAB-500 are given as 100 and 140 meters for soft skinned material and 33 and 60 meters for light armored vehicles.

Platforms

The FAB M62 is usually carried on hardpoints on the wingd or on the fuselage of fighter and bomber aircraft and can also be loaded in the bomb bays of most bomber aircraft. The FAB M62 series is used on the Su-17 Fitter, Su-25 Frogfoot, MiG-21 Fishbed, MiG-23 Flogger, MiG-29 Flanker, MiG-25 Foxbat, Su-24 Fencer, Tu-16 Badger, Tu-95 Bear, many older fighter and bomber aircraft and various foreign models. Helicopters such as the Mi-24 Hind can also carry free fall bombs, although this practice is uncommon.

Users

The FAB M62 is a common series of free fall bombs. Production numbers have not been as high as the FAB M54 series since guided munitions and air to ground missiles have reduced the need for general purpose dumb bombs. The M62 was acquired in large quantities by Soviet forces and remains in Russian service today. The FAB M62 was likely to be exported alongside each type of Soviet fighter and bomber aircraft and can therefore be found in large quantities in Eastern Europe and nations that had ties with the USSR.

The FAB M62 series of general purpose bombs look alike but differ in size and weight. The M62 series can be identified by their streamlined nose in combination with the same tailfin setup as fount on earlier series of Soviet bombs.