Ukrainian armed forces are set to receive long-range smart bombs this year.
This could put the Russian army in trouble.
Munich – The Ukrainian Air Force is now able to use smart bombs, so-called Joint Direct Attack Munition - Extended Range, or JDAM-ER for short, against Russian forces.
According to
thedrive.com,
James Hecker, the European chief officer of the US Air Force, said so.
These bombs would therefore be able to hit targets at a range of up to 72.5 kilometers thanks to their folding wings.
For comparison: conventional JDAMs have a range of 28 kilometers.
However, Ukraine's stockpile of these bombs would currently be relatively small.
A few days ago, Hecker shared more details about the new smart bombs for Ukraine.
"Recently we've been able to get some precision munitions into Ukraine that have an extended range, go a little further than a free-fall bomb and are precision-guided," Hecker said during a news conference, according to
thedrive.com
.
According to Hecker, the bombs would have been delivered to Ukraine about three weeks ago.
According to unconfirmed reports, these could then be shot down by Ukrainian fighter jets such as the MiG-29 and the Su-27, such as the Austrian Internet portal
futurzone.at
reported.
Thanks to the JDAM-ER bombs, Ukraine is now able to hit targets that would be too far away for other types of ammunition, Hecker said.
However, the number of smart bombs currently available to Ukraine is limited.
In addition, Ukraine could soon have another superweapon at its disposal.
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A JDAM-ER GPS-guided missile (icon image)
© IMAGO / Stock Trek Images
Smart bombs from the USA for Ukraine could become a problem for Russia in the war
However, Ukraine has enough that it will be enough for a few attacks, Hecker explained, according to
The Warzone
.
The exact equipment of the JDAM-ERs, which Ukraine has received so far, is still unclear.
According to Hecker, the bombs are designated GBU-62.
The only known variant of the GBU-62 seems loud according to
thedrive.com
to be the GBU-62(V) 1/B, also known as the Quickstrike-ER.
This weapon combines the equipment of the JDAM-ER with the over 900 kg Mk 64 Quickstrike sea mine.
However, according to the website, Quickstrike mines are not intended as all-purpose offensive weapons.
It is therefore more likely that the core of the JDAM-ERs intended for Ukraine would have used more traditional bombs.
There is also the possibility that the warheads are former Quickstrike mines that have been converted into normal standard bombs.
These bombs could pose a serious problem for the Russian side.
Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine
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According to thedrive.com
, the standard version is already
a precision-guided, fire-and-forget weapon.
This means that after the bomb has been fired at a stationary target, the pilot can immediately turn back to put some distance between himself and the enemy defenses.
Thanks to the additional built-in internal navigation system, the bomb should maintain a certain degree of accuracy on its own, even if the GPS signal is blocked or otherwise lost.
The smart bomb's wings increase the weapon's range and add to the bomb's durability.
With the bomb, Ukraine would have such a weapon in its hands that not only gives the Ukrainian army a great advantage in terms of range, but also in terms of precision.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that
that arms deliveries are “in a way” war participation.
(Niklas Mueller)
Rubric list image: © IMAGO / Stock Trek Images