On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of State approved the potential sale to Ukraine of a package including JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range) extended-range guidance kits for aerial bombs, worth up to 373.6 million USD.
Former Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk signs a GBU-62 JDAM-ER kit, based on the body of a 227-kg Mk 82 bomb, mounted on an underwing pylon of a Su-27 aircraft / Photo: Ukrainian Air Force
According to the published information, the government in Kyiv requested the possible acquisition of 1,200 KMU-572 tail guidance kits for Mark 82 bombs (227 kg) and 332 KMU-556 kits for Mark 84 bombs (907 kg) for conversion into JDAM-ER guided bombs.
The request also included the following non-MDE (Major Defense Equipment) items: FMU-139 programmable fuzes, support equipment for the JDAM family of kits, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, repair and return support, weapon software and support equipment, classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation, transportation support, studies and surveys, engineering, technical, and logistics services provided by the U.S. government and the contractor, Boeing, as well as other related elements of logistics and program support.
Analysis
JDAM conversion kits are integrated with Mark 80-series general-purpose bombs in the 227-kg Mk 82, 454-kg Mk 83, and 907-kg Mk 84 weight classes, creating precision bombs designated GBU-62, GBU-63, and GBU-64, respectively. They extend glide range and enable precision strikes against ground targets at a distance of up to 64–80 km from the release point, using a combination of satellite navigation (GPS) and inertial navigation (INS).
In March 2023, it was revealed that, as part of U.S. military aid packages for Ukraine during Joe Biden’s presidency, JDAM-ER kits for converting 227-kg Mark 82 general-purpose bombs into GBU-62 guided bombs had been delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force (Povitriani Syly Zbroinykh Syl Ukrainy, PS ZSU). They were adapted and integrated with MiG-29 fighter aircraft (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) and Su-27 heavy air-superiority fighters (NATO reporting name: Flanker) using modified weapon stations with MAU-12 pylons.
The first visual confirmation came on August 24, 2023, on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day:
"Happy Ukrainian Independence Day!"
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk. pic.twitter.com/CCUmClvJsy— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) August 24, 2023
In November 2024, it was revealed that Australia had also supplied JDAM-ER kits to Ukraine (the Australian government had already announced the delivery of unspecified aerial munitions in April of the same year). In February 2025, it was revealed that the Ukrainian Air Force had also received medium-weight GBU-63 kits, based on 454-kg Mark 83 bombs:
The Ukrainian Air Force just released what appears to be the first footage of a Ukrainian Su-27 Flanker dropping 1000lb JDAM-ER glide bombs on a Russian position.
The Mk83-based JDAMs in this video carry roughly double the explosive mass of previously seen JDAMs. pic.twitter.com/Z64pIWxoPc
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 31, 2025
It is worth adding that, on August 28, 2025, Ukraine received U.S. Department of State approval to purchase up to 3,350 new ERAM (Extended Range Attack Munition) precision air-launched munitions in a package worth up to 825 million USD. Five days earlier, The Wall Street Journal had reported on the forthcoming approval. Later, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered the first batch of 840 missiles, some of which are expected to go to Ukraine. On January 21 this year, the first test of the munition was carried out in the United States.
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