Ukraine will receive gliding bombs from the US, with a range of 80km, the outlet claims
The US will supply Ukraine with precision upgrade kits for air-launched bombs, which give them a range of 80km (50 miles) and GPS guidance capability, Bloomberg reports.
According to two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, Kiev will receive Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) kits, the news agency said on Tuesday. They are the “precision aerial munitions” that the Pentagon mentioned as part of the $1.85 billion weapons package announced on December 21, according to the outlet.
JDAM is an upgrade for regular free-fall bombs, which turns them into gliding GPS-enhanced precision weapons. The ER version was originally developed by Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), along with Boeing Australia for the Royal Air Force. The wing kit is meant for 500lb (227kg) munitions.
The upgraded bombs were designed to be launched from US-made fighter jets, such as the F/A-18 A/B Super Hornet, but Washington and its allies have refused so far to provide aircraft such as this to Ukraine.
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