FSUE "SRPE "Bazalt" is the sole organization in the Russian Federation and the CIS which provides for the entire life cycle of aircraft bombs.

Armed conflicts of the recent decades showed that today aircraft bombs are and will remain in the visible future to be the most important part of air-delivered armament systems, and according to military analysists 70 to 75 percent of combat missions are accomplished by aviation with the use of air bombs.

Aircraft bomb boast primarily the following merits: engaging of a wide range of targets (from manpower to military industrial facilities and armored vehicles), no limitations to application conditions, design simplicity and ease of handling, comparatively low cost and the possibility of involving non-specialized production facilities for manufacturing bomb components and bodies which is particularly important during a war.

For over a 60-year period the Enterprise specialists have created several generations of ammo of various kinds (over 400 models) which were adopted for service. They include:

• high-explosive and high-explosive/fragmentation bombs of the М-46 and М-54 series ensuring complete loading of long-range carrier aircraft payload compartments; the М-62 series bombs featuring optimized stream-lined shape to ensure external suspending; thermostable bombs intended for utilization from high-speed carrier aircraft including strike aircraft entering hostile AD zones and engaging targets at low and very low altitudes;
  
• concrete-piercing bombs intended for destruction of reinforced-concrete fortifications, airfield runways and highways;
  
• fuel-air explosive bombs designed to engage manpower located in the open or in shelters, soft-skinned materiel,as well as to clear mine fields;
  
• incendiary air bombs and tanks;
  
• marking (MGAB, OMAB) and antisubmarine (PLAB) air bombs;
  
• ancillary (SAB, NOSAB,DOSAB) bombs, special (DAB, FOTAB, AGITAB) bombs and practice
  (P-50,UPLAB) bombs to train flight personnel in practice bombing;
  
• small-size target (M6,M6T) to enable work with radar and thermal systems; this bomb imitates air targets.

Development of cluster weapon systems allowed for bombs efficiency to be enhanced drastically. In terms of manpower and materiel (aircraft, missile systems, armored vehicles) engagement cluster weapons are superior to unitary WH bombs of the same purposes by several times .

In 70s -80s to equip the Air Force with these high efficient weapons the Enterprise developed cluster bomb units and submunition delivery vehicles for air-delivered containers. They were loaded with fragmentation, concrete-piercing, HEAT, sensor-fuzed, incendiary submunitions and minelets of various types.

However today the created items of weaponry fail to meet modern requirements for increased efficiency, also due to an increase in targets protection and survivability level, as well as application flexibility and series production requirements.

To increase the Air Force power and readiness level the Enterprise specialists are conducting the following works:

• creation of the PBK-500U 500kg unified gliding cluster bomb fitted with a modular WH (loaded with various types of submunitions) and with unitary WHs to be efficienty used from front-line aviation aircraft without carrier entering the point AD zone. In the future to significantly increase a flight range (without accuracy parameters deteriorating) PBK-500U is to be equipped with a high-energy engine;
  
• creation of an optimal system of general-purpose air bombs to enable Air Force actions under weak or suppressed AD conditions. The system concept is based on the following aspects: all versions are of the same caliber (500kg) using the modular design principles; multi-effect engagement is provided; versions ensure multi-purpose target engagement and combat application conditions, as well as high degree of unification including a joint-service one in terms of submunitions application ;
  
• modernization of in-service high-efficiency iterms of ordnance (e.g. ODAB-500PM) to provide the possibility of using helicopters as a delivery means,as well as all-altitude application and operation efficiency improvement (ODAB-500PMV);
  
• equipping of in-service items and optional system versions with gliding and correction modules to ensure bombs application without carrier aircraft entering the point AD zone;
  
• enhancing of air bombs combat efficiency owing to control of fuzing device function and munition operation mode from the carrier board (re-targeting in air), to carrier sighting navigation systems accuracy improving, including more careful consideration for complicated ballistics of modern air bombs.

Creation of PBK-500U fitted with a modular WH and realization of the advanced optimal system of general-purpose air bombs alongwith carrying out works on modernization, board control and sighting navigation systems upgrading will allow to significantly improve the effectiveness of AF accomplishing combat missions aimed at engaging all types of ground targets in various theatres of war. It will drastically change the weapon application tactics with simultaneous reducing the current nomenclature and will improve troops support and training level of flight personnel.

Experience and potential accumulated by the Enterprise made it possible to start the development of air-delivered rescue systems to be used as a means of urgent assistance during technogenic and ecological disasters and calamities including:

• the ASP-500 500kg fire-extinguishing system loaded with a fire-extinguishing mixture (with a weight of approx 400kg) and fitted with an explosive dispersion system to ensure fire suppression in fire zones (with a layer of 4 to 6m and a diameter of 25 to 30m);
  
• the ASK-500 rescue pod to be used for delivering stores to sea calamity zones or to regions difficult of access.

Most of the ammo developed by the Enterprise has passed muster under combat conditions and won high appreciation of military specialists including foreign ones. Competitiveness of a wide range of items have been confirmed by concluded contracts for equipment supply and by licenses transferred to many countries of the world.

FSUE "SRPE "Bazalt" enjoys by right the title of a world leader in air bombs development.