A video has recently surfaced that showcases, for the first time, the combat deployment of French guided bombs AASM Hammer from modified Su-25 attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Prior to this, there were isolated indications in the public domain suggesting that our Su-25s had undergone an "upgrade" for the AASM Hammer, but these did not provide a comprehensive understanding, unlike the video released by the "Mazut SD" resource.
Initially, we can observe that in this video, two Su-25s are depicted as carriers of the AASM Hammer guided bombs, leading us to logically conclude that the "upgrade" for the French guided munitions has been implemented on at least two aircraft.
The mechanics of releasing AASM Hammer from the Su-25 are similar to those we have seen in another somewhat related video, which showcased the use of such guided bombs from MiG-29 aircraft. Specifically, the bomb release occurs during a climb, requiring the Su-25 to raise its nose at a certain angle, while the aircraft approaches the drop point at low altitude.
Furthermore, if we look closely, we can also see in that video that our Su-25s are dropping "naval" bombs AASM Hammer. We have previously explained the specifics of "naval" bombs of this type in one of our publications, but to briefly reiterate – these bombs have a concrete coating to minimize erosion in open sea conditions, a practice adopted on US Navy aircraft carriers.
One Su-25 in a combat sortie can carry two AASM Hammer bombs, with the number of pylons for mounting such bombs also being two.
It is also worth noting that the timestamp in the video indicates summer of last year, which chronologically coincides with the emergence of the first mention of the "upgrade" of our Su-25s for the French AASM Hammer bombs, first announced by the head of aviation of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhiy Holubtsov, during his comprehensive interview for the "Donbas.Realii" project in June 2024.
Why the AASM Hammer for Su-25 is both a necessary step and what might lie ahead for these aircraft – we elaborated on in a separate publication. However, it is important to add that the ability to use French guided bombs provides our attack aviation with a certain advantage over the "VKS RF" attack aircraft, as the Russians themselves lament that their Su-25s have not been adapted for the use of guided bombs with UMPK modules.
In this context, it is worth recalling that back in May 2024, there were indications that the F-16s intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine might also be adapted for the French Hammer bombs. The subsequent developments regarding this situation have not been clarified at this moment, but it is possible that certain updates will emerge by 2025.