Russia is preparing for mass production of PBK-500U Drel bombs

Serial delivery of the Drel guided cluster glide bomb will start in Russia in 2024.

The Russian corporation Rostec reported that the bomb successfully passed all tests defined by the defense ministry.

According to Rostec, some warheads for the bombs are being developed at the same time.

Tests of the new bomb were launched in 2016. In 2019, representatives of the Tehmash concern reported that state tests of the PBK-500U SPBE-K, known as the Drel, would be completed in 2019.

Later, Tekhmash claimed that adverse weather conditions allegedly prevented the completion of state tests. The manufacturer stated that Drel could independently fly to the target at a distance of tens of kilometers.

If the striking element does not work, it will self-destruct after a certain time and will not pose a danger to the population after the cessation of hostilities, the developers claim.

The payload of the bomb consists of 15 submunitions of the SPBE-K type, capable of pointing at the target themselves.

Each such submunition is a compact autonomous system that can independently study the ground environment, search for targets, and affect them.

A combined infrared and radar system is used to locate targets. The SPBE-K has a cumulative warhead capable of penetrating at least 70 mm of homogeneous armor (according to some sources, more than 100 mm).

Recently, Russia discovered its own unexploded bomb in the Belgorod region.