OVERVIEW: The KMG-U with AO-2.5RT is an air-launched cluster munition dispenser delivering 96 high-explosive fragmentation bomblets over area targets. It is designed to saturate soft-skinned vehicle formations and personnel concentrations with wide-area fragmentation effects.

DETAILS: KMG-U stands for “Universal Small Cargo Container” and was developed in the USSR for tactical aircraft and helicopters. The container holds 8 BKF-AO-2.5RT cassettes, each containing 12 AO-2.5RT submunitions. The AO-2.5RT is a 2.5 kg high-explosive fragmentation bomblet with a bounce-detonation mechanism to maximize horizontal fragmentation spread. Each bomblet uses a spin-armed impact fuze and is effective against troops and light materiel over open terrain.

FUNCTION: After the KMG-U is released and opened, it ejects the cassettes which disperse the AO-2.5RT bomblets. Upon impact, each bomblet bounces upward and detonates, creating a lethal fragmentation cone over a wide radius.

NOTE:
IOC: 1970s (KMG-U), 1970s (AO-2.5RT)
Operators: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Syria, others (post-Soviet users)
Platforms: Su-25, Su-24, Su-22, Su-27, MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-29, Ka-50, Ka-52, Mi-24
Conflict used in: Syrian Civil War (2015+), Russia-Ukraine War (2022+)

SOURCE: CAT-UXO: https://cat-uxo.com/explosive-hazards/aerial-dispensers/kmg-u ; Fenix Insight AO-2.5RT entry: https://www.fenix-insight.online/explosive-hazards/ao-25rt ; Russian Ministry of Defense publications ; Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KMGU