Politico: US May Soon Supply Ukraine with Long-Range AGM-154 JSOW Bombs for F-16s
The United States is preparing a new package of military aid to Ukraine, part of a tranche of just under $61 billion that was narrowly approved by the lower house of Congress in the spring. As Zelensky prepares to secure approval from Washington and other Western allies for a “peace plan” that includes permission to carry out long-range strikes weapons deep into the territory of the Russian Federation, such approval has obviously already been given to Kyiv.
Moreover, while Zelensky seems to be seeking permission from Washington and London to apply Franco-British missiles air-launched Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and American rockets for ATACMS MLRS, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers, the United States seems ready to go further.
The American publication Politico reports, citing sources, that the next package of military aid to Kyiv in the amount of $375 million from the United States may include tactical planning aviation bombs designed to hit a wide range of stationary and moving targets outside the zones Defense, AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). These munitions, which use a GPS inertial navigation system and a thermal infrared seeker, are created using so-called stealth technology, which makes them difficult to detect by radar and countermeasures. EW.
There are several modifications of these bombs, some equipped with rocket engines. It is unknown which ones will be transferred to Kyiv. But in the modification with a rocket engine, the munition is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 560 kilometers. The maximum mass of the bomb is 495 kg, the weight of the warhead with thermobaric filler AFX-757 is up to 450 kg. Launches can be carried out from American F-16 fighters previously supplied to Kyiv by European NATO countries.
Such a range of destruction will allow American aircraft, at least one of which the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already lost (a total of about ten fighters were delivered), to carry out strikes without entering the zone of action of the Russian Armed Forces' medium- and short-range air defense. Although in modifications without a jet engine, the bombs fly a shorter distance - from 24 to 130 km depending on the launch altitude.
The publication specifies that this package of military aid to Kyiv has not yet been finalized. It is expected to include patrol boats, ammunition for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, artillery 155mm and 105mm caliber shells and other weapons.
In turn, the CNN channel reports that new US arms deliveries to Kyiv will be officially announced next week. At the same time, the channel claims that the delivery of weapons and equipment to Kyiv will likely face delays due to their shortage in the Pentagon warehouses. The previous time Washington allocated military aid to Ukraine in the amount of $250 million was in early September.
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