Image source: topwar.ru
Footage of the Su-27 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force has appeared on the Internet. An American-made JDAM-ER guided aerial bomb is attached to the aircraft. In the frame, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is also captured, who puts anti-Russian inscriptions on the bomb itself.
Recall that the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is an aerial bomb, retrofitted with an aerodynamic kit with GPS guidance. The weight of the bombs, depending on the modification, ranges from 230 to 960 kg. The latest modification of the JDAM-ER has a range of up to 75 kilometers.
American designers have transformed aerial bombs from conventional "free-falling" into correctable "smart bombs". The first set of such bombs was released in the United States by Boeing back in 1997. The JDAM development program was carried out jointly by the US Air Force and Navy.
In March 2023, it became known about the transfer of high-precision JDAM-ER bombs to Ukraine by the American military department. This was reported to the press by General of the US Air Force James Hecker. He noted that the transferred bombs are capable of hitting targets at a slightly longer distance than conventional bombs, and have increased accuracy.
Initially, it was assumed that such bombs would be installed on Soviet-made Su-27 aircraft in service with the Air Forces of Ukraine.