Ukraine acquires home-grown 'Equalizer' glide bomb to lessen reliance on foreign arms

Ukraine is moving to equip its air force with the Vyrivniuvach glide bomb, a locally produced precision weapon designed to extend strike range and reduce reliance on imported kits such as JDAM-ER, SDB and French Hammer bombs. Developed by DG Industry with support from the government-linked defence technology group Brave1, the bomb has passed trials and is now being procured for operational use, a Ukrainian military official told Ukrinform.

The system transforms a standard bomb by adding aerodynamic surfaces and a guidance module, allowing deployment from MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-27 jets and, pending further certification, from donated F-16 and Mirage aircraft. While about 90% of its parts are manufactured in Ukraine, Europe or the United States, critical micro-circuits still come from abroad. The acquisition arrives as Russian forces escalated their use of guided aerial bombs, delivering more than 8,300 in July—the highest monthly total of the war—and recently striking Kyiv with a missile-drone barrage that killed at least 16 civilians. Kyiv sees the Equalizer as a step toward greater self-sufficiency in precision strike capability amid ongoing uncertainty over foreign military aid.