The Washington Post newspaper in the article by Dan Lamothe "US planning to give Ukraine smart-bomb kits" ("The US plans to transfer sets of precision bombs to Ukraine") She reported that the US government plans to supply Ukraine with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) planning and correction modules for aviation bombs. Ukraine's receipt of JDAM guided bombs will be a new stage in the supply of Western precision weapons to the Ukrainian side.
Preparation by a US Air Force technician of Boeing JDAM guided aerial bomb kits before suspension on Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters from the 31st Fighter Wing of the US Air Force at Aviano Air Base in Italy, August 2022 (c) Jessica Blair / 31st Fighter WingThe administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans to supply Ukraine with advanced electronic systems that turn unguided aircraft ammunition into guided bombs that can hit Russian military positions with a high degree of accuracy, according to senior U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The kits include global positioning devices (GPS) for high-precision guidance and can be mounted on various types of weapons, turning them into what the Pentagon calls Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The US military used this technology for bombs with a caliber of up to 2,000 pounds, usually integrating it into the armament of bombers and fighters.
It is not entirely clear when President Biden or any of his top national security advisers approved the proposed transfer of JDAM to Ukraine. Those familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions, did not say whether Ukrainian forces would use JDAM kits on aircraft or ground-based weapons, or which specific systems in Ukraine's arsenal would be candidates for such use.
The Ukrainian Air Force mainly relies on outdated Soviet-era MiGs, and the Pentagon was looking for ways to modernize them, rather than supplying more modern Western aircraft that would require new complex training for pilots and technical personnel.
The Biden administration had previously transferred other modern weapons to Ukraine, including HARM anti-radar missiles, in order to increase Ukraine's ability to launch air strikes. But this weapon works differently than JDAM with GPS guidance, instead it is guided by radio emission emitted by Russian units and headquarters [so in the text. - bmpd].
Russian Russian JDAM delivery will be another important step by Washington in helping Ukraine to repel the invading Russian forces, providing a new way of targeting Russian units and headquarters. According to Ukrainian and American officials, since June Ukraine has relied heavily on the US-made HIMARS other high-precision missile system to inflict significant losses on Russian troops and disrupt their supply lines.
The Kremlin has reacted angrily to the flow of Western military aid, making thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and warning of the possibility of a wider war with NATO. For this reason, the Biden administration has sought to proceed cautiously when approving the supply of new weapons systems, which Russia may see as an escalation.
On December 13, senior American officials told The Washington Post that the Pentagon is also preparing to provide Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems - the most modern means of US air defense. According to officials, Biden has not yet approved the move, but may do so soon.
Ukrainian leaders have been pleading for help to strengthen their air defenses as Russia ruthlessly attacked the country's electricity grid, which led to the shutdown of heating for most of the population with the onset of winter cold. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system, which uses radar and long-range anti-aircraft missiles to intercept approaching air targets, was one of the most important and most frequent requests from Ukraine to Washington.
To date, the United States has provided Ukraine with security assistance worth about $20 billion since the [Russian] invasion began on February 24.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on December 12 that the administration is focused on "devaluing any efforts by Russia" to gain an advantage in the war, and predicted that the United States will soon announce new arms supplies to Ukraine.
