Ukraine is probably using JDAM bombs – media

The Ukrainian Air Force could probably already use JDAM-ER bombs against the Russian invaders.

The American military shared this with The War Zone.

According to the publication, U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, Head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), as well as NATO’s Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA), claimed that Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range precision-guided bombs, which can hit targets at up to 72 km away, were transferred to Ukraine.

It’s emphasized that he was specifically discussing the JDAM-ER.

“Recently, we’ve just gotten some precision munitions [to Ukraine] that had some extended range and go a little bit further than the gravity drop bomb and has precision [guidance],” Hecker said. “That’s a recent capability that we were able to give them [Ukraine] probably in the last three weeks.”

The announcement was made at a media roundtable taking place on the sidelines of the 2023 Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium, which opened on March 6 in Aurora, Colorado.

The War Zone stressed that the total number of JDAM-ERs that Ukraine currently has is limited.

“They have enough to do a couple of strikes,” Gen. James Hecker said.

However, it is noted that JDAM-ER could already create real problems for the Russian invasion forces.

The American media emphasizes that the exact configuration of the JDAM-ERs that Ukraine has received so far is unclear. It’s also not clear what platforms Ukrainian forces are using to deliver these weapons.

Previously, Bloomberg reported that the USA handed over the GPS-guided JDAM bombs to Ukraine. However, there is no official information from the Pentagon about transferring these munitions.

JDAMs are GPS technology-based hardware kits that convert simple free-falling bombs into all-weather guided ammunition. The kit includes an inertial navigation system and GPS receiver to improve accuracy, along with the small wings attached to the middle of the bomb and a tail unit with a controlled tail that allows the bomb to adjust its course while approaching the target. The unit contains navigation and other equipment.