As the many viewers have probably already noticed, in the recent package of military
aid from the USA, apart for the long-awaited air defense systems MIM-104 Patriot, there
was another item - precision aerial munitions.
The "precision aerial munitions," was later clarified by the Pentagon to be the Joint
Direct Attack Munitions or JDAM.
This decision open up new opportunities for Ukraine.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes what can JDAM do for Ukraine ?
Let’s get into the details.
The U.S. Air Force's bombing campaign during the Persian Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm
was less effective than initially reported, in part because it had no precision bombs
that were accurate in all weathers.
Laser guidance packages on bombs proved exceptionally accurate in clear conditions, but amid airborne
dust, smoke, fog, or cloud cover, they had difficulty maintaining "lock" on the laser
designation.
Research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) of an "adverse weather precision-guided
munition" began in 1992.
Several proposals were considered, including a radical concept that used GPS.
At the time, there were few GPS satellites and the idea of using satellite navigation
for real-time weapon guidance was untested and controversial.
These obstacles were slowly overcome.
The first JDAM kits were delivered in 1997, with operational testing conducted in 1998
and 1999.
During testing, over 450 JDAMs were dropped achieving system reliability in excess of
95% with a published accuracy under 10 m (33 ft) CEP
The JDAM is essentially a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs",
into all-weather precision-guided munitions.
JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global
Positioning System (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to 15 nautical
miles (28 km).
JDAM-equipped bombs range from 500 pounds (227 kg) to 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
The JDAM's guidance system was jointly developed by the United States Air Force and the United
States Navy, hence the "joint" in JDAM.
When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) nomenclature,
superseding the Mark 80 or BLU (Bomb, Live Unit) nomenclature of the bomb to which it
is attached.
As stated, the JDAM is not a stand-alone weapon; rather it is a "bolt-on" guidance package
that converts unguided gravity bombs into precision-guided munitions (PGMs).
The key components of the system consist of a tail section with aerodynamic control surfaces,
a (body) strake kit, and a combined inertial guidance system and GPS guidance control unit.
Once released from the aircraft, the JDAM autonomously navigates to the designated target
coordinates.
Target coordinates can be loaded into the aircraft before takeoff, manually altered
by the aircrew before weapon release, or automatically entered through target designation with onboard
aircraft sensors.
JDAM enables multiple weapons to be directed against single or multiple targets on a single
pass.
For Ukraine, the JDAM offers an option of high precision attack against Russian ground
forces and other assets.
Importantly, it is a relatively low cost option.
For example, a Mk 82 500 pound bomb with JDAM kit could cost around $25,000 whereas a single
AGM-114 Hellfire missile costs $70,000 and each AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff
Missile (JASSM) costs over $1.2 million.
The issue of integrating the complete JDAM with the Ukrainian Air Force’s existing
combat aircraft is a hurdle that needs to be overcome.
Given the fact that AGM-88 HARM or High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles has been integrated
, there is no reason why JDAM can’t be added.
Potentially, the MiG-29 or Su-27 fighter jets, the Su-24 strike aircraft, or even Su-25 ground-attack
aircraft could carry JDAMs, although each would require varying degree of work.
JDAM would essentially offer the Ukrainian Air Force with a new capability to attack
ground targets while offering a degree of standoff protection to the launch aircraft.