The United States is planning to send Ukraine advanced electronic equipment that converts unguided aerial munitions into “smart bombs,” The Washington Post reported on December 14, 2022, citing US officials.
JDAM kits
The kits incorporate GPS devices for precision and can be bolted onto a variety of weapons, creating what the Pentagon calls a Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM. The US military has used the technology on bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds (about 900 kg), usually in combination with bomber aircraft and fighter jets.
The kits would allow Ukrainian forces to target Russian military positions with greater accuracy, according to the report.
Not yet approved
It was not immediately clear whether President Joe Biden or his top national security advisers had approved the transfer, the Post reported. Officials did not say whether Ukraine would use the kits on aircraft or ground-based weapons, or which systems in its arsenal could be adapted.
Context
Ukraine’s air force flies Soviet-era fighter jets, and adapting them to use Western munitions has posed technical challenges. Washington has previously supplied Ukraine with HARM anti-radiation missiles adapted for its aircraft. Kyiv has repeatedly asked for more precise long-range weapons to strike Russian forces and supply lines.
Sources
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