The U.S. government has authorized the sale to Ukraine of 1,532 JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munitions – Extended Range) kits at a ceiling price of up to $373.6 million. This is the first such authorization for Ukraine, which had previously received these munitions as part of aid packages.
Under the authorization, the funds may be used to procure 1,200 KMU-572 kits and 332 KMU-556 kits, along with a corresponding quantity of FMU-139 fuzes, additional equipment, and ancillary items.
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The KMU-572 kits are designed for 500-pound (227 kg) bombs — the Mk 82, BLU-111, BLU-126, and BLU-129 — while the KMU-556 kits are intended for 2,000-pound (907 kg) bombs: the Mk 84 and BLU-117. As the authorization specifies the Extended Range variant, the corresponding wing kit assemblies which significantly extend employment range should be included.
It is worth noting, however, that while russian forces are able to employ their glide bombs from high altitude, Ukraine's air force is limited to loft release following ingress at extremely low altitudes. Under these conditions, the effective range of the JDAM-ER drops from approximately 70 km to around 40 km.
The average unit cost of a notional JDAM-ER kit under this authorization for Ukraine works out to up to $243,864 in an all-inclusive order covering all associated services. This is consistent with the average pricing typically cited for standard JDAM kits and even appears in U.S. Navy publications on this type of munition — meaning the price is entirely reasonable even accounting for the addition of the wing kit assembly.
It is worth considering that we are talking about JDAM-ER kits, which are supplied only to Ukraine. At the same time, the export price for regular JDAMs is lower.. Israel, for instance, received authorization on June 30, 2025, covering 3,845 KMU-558 kits and 3,280 KMU-572 kits 7125 standard JDAM kits in total, not the ER variant for $510 million, averaging $71,578 per kit.
That sale was linked to operations in the Gaza Strip, and such preferential terms are generally reserved for Israel alone, country that even purchases fighter aircraft using American aid funding.
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