It is known that the Ukrainian air force, which is equipped almost exclusively with Soviet-designed aircraft, faces a serious problem, replenishing its stockpile of ammunition, most of which has been consumed since the Russian invasion.
The US delivered 4000 Zuni rockets to the Ukrainians
"This is, for example, the case of the 80mm S-8, 122mm S-13 and 240mm S-24 unguided rockets launched by the Su-25 'Frogfoot' attack aircraft," he points out in an article in French media, reputable on defense issues, whose highlights are as follows:
"Obviously, it is not possible to resupply the Ukrainians from Russia and therefore they will have to show ingenuity with the means given to them.
In January, when the United States announced a new $2.85 billion aid package for Ukraine, it had particularly insisted on the donation of fifty Bradley fighting vehicles, while the said "package" also included the delivery of approximately 4,000 Zuni rockets to the Ukrainian air force.
The adaptation of the Zuni rockets to the Ukrainian Su-25
Be that as it may, one might wonder what the Ukrainian air force would do with those 4,000 Zuni missiles, given that its Su-25 Frogfoot was then unable to accommodate them.
But that just happened.
Indeed, via social media, the Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Mykola Oleshchuk, shared several photos showing the Zuni ready to arm a Su-25.
However, these shots have been "redacted", meaning the missile baskets attached under the aircraft's wings have been covered up. So we ignore the number of munitions it can carry and the device the engineers have devised to make it compatible with the Su-25.
Compared to Soviet- and Russian-made missiles, the Zuni will allow the Ukrainian Su-25s to engage targets at longer ranges, theoretically putting them beyond the range of short-range air defense systems.
However, this is not the first time that the Ukrainian Air Force has adapted Western and particularly American-designed ammunition to its aircraft. This was the case with the AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile, now compatible with the MiG-29 "Fulcrum" and more recently, bombs equipped with the JDAM-ER kit.
