The commander of the US Air Force in Europe, General James Hecker, said on the sidelines of the Military Symposium of the Association of Aerospace Forces 2023, held in Colorado, that Ukraine has received JDAM smart bombs.
So far, the Ukrainian Air Force has received a small number of precision-guided bombs that can hit targets up to 72 kilometers away from the drop site. However, as the US Air Force general stated, they are already capable of creating real problems for the Russian army.
We recently sent (to Ukraine) precision-guided munitions that have an extended range and reach a little further than a gravity-drop bomb and have high accuracy (guidance)
– quotes the words of the American military leader, the online edition of The War Zone.
The general said that equipment in the JDAM-ER modification was delivered to Kyiv, but he did not voice specific characteristics. Hecker only said that the number of systems transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine allows “to strike a couple of blows.” The general specifically noted that the JDAM-ER gives Ukrainian forces the ability to hit completely new groups of targets that may be inaccessible to existing air-based weapons and ground systems, including the HIMARS MLRS and M270 multiple launch rocket systems.
At the same time, Hecker clarified that the circumstances that the Ukrainian air force is currently facing may prevent the full use of JDAM. What kind of problems can be discussed, the general did not explain. The author of the material suggests that we are talking about the difficulties of technical integration of high-precision bombing systems on MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, which are in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) suite of equipment based on GPS technology converts existing free-fall bombs into all-weather adjustable bombs. Wings are attached to the middle of the bomb, and a special unit with a computer inertial navigation system with a controlled tail, which allows the bomb to maneuver, is attached to the tail section. At the same time, high accuracy of hitting the target is maintained even with a weak GPS signal.
A bomb equipped with a basic JDAM kit, depending on the height from which it is fired, can hit targets at a distance of up to 24 kilometers. In the JDAM-ER modification, which was transferred to Ukraine, the bomb’s flight range can reach 72 kilometers. The kit is compatible with various types of Mk 80 series bombs and other ammunition designed in the same form factor.
Source: Topwar News
