The US plans to send sets of “smart bombs” to Ukraine, – Washington Post
The administration of US President Joe Biden plans to send Ukraine advanced electronic equipment that turns unguided aerial munitions into “smart bombs”.
About this writes The Washington Post.
According to senior officials, these weapons can hit Russian military positions with a high level of accuracy.
“The kits include global positioning devices to improve accuracy and can be bolted to a variety of weapons, creating what the Pentagon calls a Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM,” the publication noted.
The US military has used this technology to bomb weights up to 2,000 pounds, typically on bombers and fighter jets.
It is not known whether the proposed JDAM transfer to Ukraine was approved by Biden himself or by one of his top national security staff. Those familiar with the matter did not specify whether the Ukrainian forces would use the kits on aircraft or ground weapons, as well as who exactly in the Armed Forces could receive them.
In the publication, the Ukrainian Air Force is mostly based on outdated Soviet MiG aircraft. The Pentagon is looking for ways to modernize them instead of supplying new Western aircraft. The latter would require their pilots and maintenance units to undergo complex training, the publication said.
The Biden administration previously armed Ukraine with other advanced weapons, including high-velocity air-launched anti-radiation missiles, or HARMs, to bolster Ukraine’s ability to carry out airstrikes. But this weapon functions differently than a GPS-guided JDAM – it intercepts the radius emitted by Russian units and headquarters.
Since June, Ukraine has been largely targeted by the American highly mobile HIMARS artillery missile system, another highly accurate system responsible for significant losses among the Russian military and disruption of the occupiers’ supply lines.
The delivery of the JDAM marked another important step by Washington in assisting Ukraine in the war.
Now, US President’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the Americans may announce the allocation of new aid to Ukraine to resist Russian aggression.
Last week the US announced about allocation of another $275 million for military support to Ukraine.