Commander of the US Air Force in Europe, General James Hecker, spoke on the sidelines of the Military Symposium of the Association of Aerospace Forces 2023 of the year, taking place in Colorado, that Ukraine received "smart bombs" JDAM.
So far, the Ukrainian Air Force has received a small number of precision-guided bombs, which can hit targets at a distance 72 kilometers from the drop site. but, as the US Air Force General, they are already capable of creating real problems for the Russian army.
We recently sent (to Ukraine) precision munitions, which have increased range and work a little further, than a gravity release 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 did not give specific characteristics.. Hecker just said, that the number of systems, transferred to the Armed Forces, allows you to "take a couple of hits". General pointed out, that JDAM-ER gives Ukrainian forces the ability to hit completely new groups of targets, which may be beyond the reach of existing air-based weapons and ground systems, including MLRS HIMARS and multiple launch rocket systems M270.
At the same time, Hecker specified, that circumstances, currently faced by the Ukrainian air force, may interfere with the full use of JDAM. What kind of problems might be, 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, in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Joint Direct Attack Munition equipment set (JDAM) based on GPS technology converts existing free-fall bombs into all-weather correctable. Wings are attached to the middle of the bomb, and to the tail section is a special unit with a computer inertial navigation system, having a controlled plumage, which allows the bomb to maneuver. At the same time, high accuracy of hitting the target is maintained even with a weak GPS signal..
bomb, equipped with basic JDAM kit, depending on height, with which it was released, can hit targets at a distance of up to 24 kilometers. In JDAM-ER modification, which was transferred to Ukraine, the range of the bomb can reach 72 kilometers. The kit is compatible with various types of Mk series bombs 80 and other ammunition, designed in the same form factor.
Author:Alexander Grigoriev Photos used:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/GBU-38_JDAM_bomb
