Australia Provides Ukraine with JDAM-ER Bombs

Australia has transferred extended-range Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM-ER ) bombs to Ukraine as part of ongoing military support efforts.

According to Australian Defense, these munitions were provided after they were retired from the Australian Royal Air Force (RAAF) inventory.

The JDAM-ER kits, capable of converting free-fall bombs into precision-guided, all-weather munitions, were initially removed from service in 2021 following the decommissioning of Australia’s F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet, as outlined in a Ministry of Defense document published on October 30, 2024.

Australian Defense Magazine reports that some JDAM-ER kits were transferred to Ukraine, although the exact quantity and timing of the transfer remain undisclosed. This assistance aligns with Australia’s previously announced military support measures, which included an unspecified quantity of air-to-ground munitions for Ukraine in April 2024. At that time, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated, “We have provided Ukraine with high-precision air-to-ground munitions.”

In July 2024, Australia pledged further air-to-ground munitions as part of a $250 million aid package for Ukraine. The JDAM-ER, developed in collaboration between Boeing, Australia’s Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and Ferra Engineering, allows for extended-range deployment by equipping bombs with GPS guidance, navigation systems, and small wings to adjust course mid-flight.

Initially deployed in Ukraine on US-supplied fighter jets in March 2023, JDAM-ER technology enables munitions to reach targets up to 72 kilometers away when released from high altitudes, a critical capability for precision strikes.