Ukraine has Begun Using U.S. made JDAM-ER Bombs

Ukraine’s Air Force has started bombing Russian targets with precision bombs, most likely Boeing-made JDAM-ERs, U.S.A.F. has confirmed.

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), told The War Zone that Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) precision-guided bombs, which can hit targets at up to 72 km away, were transferred to Ukraine.

“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 total number of JDAM-ERs that Ukraine currently has is limited.

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

It is not clear what platforms the Ukrainians are using to deliver these weapons.

JDAMs are GPS technology-based hardware kits that convert simple free-falling bombs into all-weather guided ammunition. JDAM-ERs can be bolted on unguided bombs weighing between 220-900kg. 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.