A French AASM-250 guidance kit has been spotted onboard a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet, as French President Emmanuel Macron announced in January 2024. Ukraine has added another Western weapon to its fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets and attack aircraft. Following the American JDAM GPS guidance kits, a French AASM-250 kit put on a 250 lb Mk81 bomb was spotted under the wing of a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet. The AASM stands for Modular Weapon for Air to Ground, which is “Armement Air-Sol Modulaire” developed by Safran Electronics & Defence.
The French Minister of Defence Sébastien Lecornu previously announced a new munition aid for the Ukrainian Air Force, including 600 AASM-guided munitions. The bombs were stated to be delivered on a 50-munition/month basis. AASM adds control surfaces, a solid rocket motor, and a GPS guidance unit to the base configuration, but options for IIR and laser seekers also exist. The rocket motor is stated to increase the range up to 50 km depending on the bomb and launch conditions. The kit can be used with GPBs of weights ranging from 250 lb to 2000 lb. While not as long-ranged as SCALP-EG or Storm Shadow cruise missiles used by Su-24M, AASM can fill a gap for the Ukrainian Air Force with its lower cost and range, still allowing the aircraft to stay away from short to medium-range air defence systems.
