US considering sending smart bomb kits to Ukraine: Report
The United States is planning to provide Ukraine with electronic equipment that would converts unguided aerial munitions into "smart bombs," a report says.
Citing US officials, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the administration of President Joe Biden was considering sending Ukraine equipment that can target Russian military positions with a high degree of accuracy.
The kits incorporate global positioning devices for precision and can be bolted onto a variety of weapons, creating what the Pentagon calls a Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM. The report did not clarify what specific systems in Ukraine’s arsenal would be candidates for such augmentation.
It was not immediately clear whether Biden or any of his top national security advisers have approved the proposed transfer of the JDAMs to Ukraine.
The US military uses the technology on bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds, usually incorporating it with bomber aircraft and fighter jets.
Ukraine still relies on aging Soviet-era MiG jets.
Washington has equipped Kiev with other advanced weaponry, including air-launched high-speed, anti-radiation missiles.
Keiv has also been calling for Washington to send Patriot missile defense systems to the country. US officials said on Tuesday that the the Biden administration was finalizing plans to send the missile systems to Ukraine that could be announced as soon as this week.
In a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, Biden said his administration "is prioritizing efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defense through our security assistance."
He also highlighted the latest $275 million in weapons, ammunition, and other equipment that the Pentagon has announced for Ukraine.
The US has given nearly $20 billion in aid for Ukraine since the start of the war in February, when Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “special military operation” in the ex-Soviet state. The Russian president said the campaign was to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.
Russia has said the weapon deliveries would only prolong the war.
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