A Quick Strike extended range mine hangs from a B-52 on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of Valiant Shield 18, Sept. 16, 2018. U.S. AIR FORCE / Senior Airman Zachary Bumpus
Russian air defenses have intercepted an American-made Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) bomb over the special military operation zone in Ukraine, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, announced on May 3.
“During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities intercepted four HIMARS rockets and a US-made JDAM smart air bomb,” the spokesman said during his daily briefing.
The successful intercept marks the first time Russian air defenses have shot down a JDAM-ER bomb launched by Kiev forces. Lt. Gen. Konashenkov didn’t specify which air defense system was used to intercept the bomb.
The United States announced sending “precision aerial munitions” to Kiev forces last December. Later in March, the Chief of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, General James Hecker, confirmed that JDAM-ER GBU-62 bombs have been already delivered to Ukraine.
Kiev forces began using the bomb early on in March, according to Yan Gagin, a military-political expert and an adviser to the acting Donetsk People’s Republic head.
The JDAM-ER kit consists of a tail with a GPS-assisted inertial navigation guidance system and a pair of foldable wings that aid the bomb in gliding toward the designated target with a range of up to 80 kilometers.
The only known variant of the GBU-62 appears to be the GBU-62(V)1/B Quickstrike-ER, which combines the JDAM-ER kit with the 907 kilogram class Mk 64 Quickstrike naval mine. The mines, which are based on the Mk 80-series bombs, can’t be used as general-purpose munitions. Ukraine may have received a special variant with that ability.
The Ukrainian Air Force may have integrated the JDAM-ER on its MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets, or on its Su-24 tactical bombers and Su-25 close air support jets.
The JDAM-ER bombs are highly effective. However, recently leaked U.S. intelligence documents revealed that the guidance systems of the bombs are being effectively jammed by Russian electronic warfare means. Ukrainian troops are also not handling the bombs properly.
The U.S. decision to supply the JDAM-ER was meant to provide Kiev forces with a long-range weapon that packs a heavy punch for use in an upcoming large-scale offensive against the Russian military.
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