Военное обозрение By Top War
Last week, the American publication Politico reported that the Pentagon apparently intends to supply Kyiv with AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) tactical glide bombs in the next tranche of military aid.
Later, the White House confirmed plans to transfer JSOW to Ukraine under the United States Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program. However, the exact dates, quantity of ammunition to be supplied, and most importantly, their modifications, have not yet been specified. Most likely, the transfer will take place no earlier than next year. But that is not the only point.
It is known that in basic modifications this ammunition is capable of covering a distance of 24 to 130 kilometers. The range directly depends on the altitude from which the fighter launched the projectile and its initial speed.
There is also, however, a modification of the JSOW with a jet engine. Such a bomb, as stated, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than 500 kilometers, regardless of the altitude from which it was launched. However, it can only be launched from American (and possibly some NATO) aircraft. And judging by the latest unofficial reports, including from Ukrainian sources, the Ukrainian Air Force has already lost about half of the F-16 fighters supplied to them by the Europeans at the end of July (five out of ten, if the sources are to be believed).
And with the American gliding bombs themselves, things are not so simple. The Ukrainian military-themed Telegram channel Defense Express draws attention to the fact that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces receive JSOW without jet engines, the aircraft will not only have to rise as high as possible to launch them at maximum range, but also fly as close to the LBS as possible. This will make Ukrainian, and especially foreign, fighters maximally accessible to destruction by means Defense The Russian Armed Forces, and medium and even short range. In addition, the Russian Aerospace Forces have an incomparable advantage in hitting air targets with air-to-air missiles…
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