US plans to transfer 'smart bomb' kits to Ukraine - WP
Date: 2022-12-15 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: MILITARY ASSISTANCE
The administration of US President Joe Biden plans to send Ukraine advanced electronic equipment that turns unguided aircraft munitions into smart bombs. The latter can hit Russian military positions with a high degree of accuracy, writes The Washington Post, citing senior US officials familiar with the matter.
The kits that Ukraine will receive will include global positioning devices. They can be bolted to various types of weapons to make them into "Joint Direct Attack Ammunition" (in US terminology - JDAM). The US military has previously used this technology for aerial bombs weighing up to 900 kg.
Washington Post sources were unable to clarify which projectiles the Ukrainian Armed Forces will strengthen with global positioning devices, whether they will be sets of aerial bombs or missiles from a ground arsenal.
The Ukrainian Air Force relies heavily on outdated Soviet-era MiGs, and the Pentagon has been looking for ways to modernize them rather than supply newer Western aircraft that would require complex new training for pilots and maintenance personnel.
The delivery of the JDAM will be another major move by Washington to help Ukraine repel invading Russian forces by providing a new way to target Russian units and headquarters. Since June, Ukraine has relied heavily on the US-made Highly Mobile Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, another high-precision system, which has resulted in significant casualties among Russian troops and disrupted supply lines, according to Ukrainian and US officials.
