Rogozin's bomb idea: Another case of absolute idiocy

Defense Express writes about it.

Dmitry Rogozin's recent proposal to use a Soyuz rocket to attack a Ukrainian city with an aerial bomb is drawing harsh criticism and highlighting the decline of Russia's space program. This idea, discussed by Rogozin and Baranov, the general director of the Progress rocket and space center, is not only extremely idiotic but also raises serious concerns.

The "concept" is to equip a Soyuz-2.1 rocket, designed to launch spacecraft into orbit, with a FAB-9000 bomb and launch it from the Plesetsk cosmodrome on a ballistic trajectory over a Ukrainian city. The 51-meter, 306-ton Soyuz rocket, with a launch cost of $48.5 million, is an unlikely choice for such a "mission". The FAB-9000 was chosen because of its size, being the largest bomb in the Russian arsenal.

Defense Express points out the difficulties in carrying out this idea. The FAB-9000 is not designed to withstand the intense heat generated during re-entry into the atmosphere after a suborbital flight. In addition, the aerodynamics of the bomb would likely cause it to disintegrate during atmospheric entry. Accuracy in guiding the bomb at hypersonic speeds, similar to the guidance of intercontinental ballistic missiles, is another problem. Without this technology, the accuracy of the bomb could be off by 100-150 kilometers.

In essence, attaching a ready-made bomb to a rocket carrier demonstrates the extreme incompetence of Rogozin's leadership during his four-year tenure at Roscosmos. This idea is evidence of the striking decline of the Russian space industry. Not surprisingly, President Putin has taken an interest in it.