RBK-250-275 and RBK-500 Cluster Bombs (Russian Federation), Bombs - Cluster and dispenser munitions

Type
Cluster bomb, multi-purpose.

Development
The former Soviet Union was a pioneer of cluster bomb dispensers, quite sophisticated designs being used as early as the 1930s. The RBK family of cluster bombs is of post-Second World War design, and in its earlier days was primarily used for delivering large numbers of anti-personnel fragmentation submunitions. However, in more recent years they have been adapted to carry various other types of submunitions, such as anti-material, airfield cratering and various types of anti-tank submunitions. The designation letters RBK stand for razovaya bombovaya kasseta meaning 'single-use bomb cassette'. The designation numbers refer to the bomb size category. Additional numbers indicate the actual weight in kilogrammes, and any further letters signify special applications or types of submunitions/bomblets used. It is believed that the RBK-250-275 was originally designed to carry fragmentation bomblets designated AO-2.5. However, later versions carried 150 AO-1 SCh fragmentation bomblets, or 30 PTAB-2.5 anti-armour bomblets. The designation letters AO stand for aviatsionnaya oskolochnaya meaning 'aircraft fragmentation', PTAB stands for protivo-tankovaya aviatsionnaya bomba meaning 'anti-tank aircraft bomb'. Further development produced a larger version, the RBK-500 designed to carry more of the same submunitions. Details were released in the early 1990s of further improved versions of the RBK-500 cluster bomb, developed along with new submunitions for them. These were: RBK-500 AO-2.5 RTM an anti-personnel/anti-material cluster bomb, RBK-500 BETAB airfield cratering cluster bomb, RBK-500 PTAB-1M anti-tank cluster bomb, RBK-500 SPBE anti-tank cluster bomb, and the RBK-500 SPBE-D anti-tank cluster bomb. Although these were basically the same bombs, they are specialised

The complete article appears in the following publication:
Publication Title	Jane's Air-Launched Weapons
Publication date	Jan 12, 2009
Section	Bombs - Cluster and dispenser munitions
Publication synopsis	The only accessible and constantly updated guide to the world's inventories of airborne weapons. Covering well over 600 systems, in service or in development, it provides a detailed and comprehensive reference to: capabilities/technology; functionality/effectiveness; user base; combat record; upgrades, variants and future enhancements. The guide includes extensive analysis tables covering all weapon types, national inventories and aircraft weapon loads and documents the world's air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, bombs, rockets, guns and underwater weapons, including new and emerging weapons.
Key contents include	Detailed review of worldwide events in the air-launched world. New systems, weapons tests/trials, combat details, contracts and deliveries, industrial moves and more Air-to-air missiles within and beyond visual range Air-to-surface missiles & direct attack, anti-ship, stand off and cruise missiles Bombs & precision and guided munitions, cluster and dispenser munitions, nuclear weapons, conventional unguided bombs Guns - integrated and mounted, podded systems Air-launched rockets Underwater weapons - mines/depth charges, torpedoes Analysis tables Contractors listings
Different sections provide in-depth detail covering	Air-Launched Rockets Air-To-Air Missiles - Beyond Visual Range Air-To-Air Missiles - Within Visual Range Air-To-Surface Missiles - Anti-Ship Air-To-Surface Missiles - Direct Attack Air-To-Surface Missiles - Stand-Off And Cruise Analysis Analysis - Air-To-Air Missiles Analysis - Air-To-Surface Missiles Analysis - Automatic Grenade Launchers Analysis - Bombs Analysis - Country Inventories - In Development Analysis - Country Inventories - In Service Analysis - Gun Pods And Mountings Analysis - Guns Analysis - In-Service Combat Aircraft And Their Air-Launched Weapons Capabilities Analysis - Mines And Depth Charges Analysis - Rocket Launchers Analysis - Rockets Analysis - Torpedoes Analysis - Worldwide In-Service Combat Aircraft Bombs - Cluster And Dispenser Munitions Bombs - Precision And Guided Munitions Bombs - Unguided Contractors Glossary Guns - Integral And Mounted Guns - Podded Systems Underwater Weapons - Mines And Depth Charges Underwater Weapons - Torpedoes Underwater Weapons - Unclassified Projects

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