The US President Joe Biden has officially announced of the transfer of AGM-154 JSOW glide bombs to Ukraine. He announced a record $7.9 billion aid package, which includes these weapons, but it is important to understand the number of these munitions.
Taking into account that the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon is not new weapon (it has been in service since 1999), its fate in the US Armed Forces has already been largely declassified. Therefore, it is possible to refer to the public unclassified report of the Defense Acquisition Agency of the US Department of Defense dated March 18, 2015 on AGM-154 JSOW.
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In particular, it contains extremely detailed data of these munitions about years of production and in versions with cluster and high-explosive warheads.
According to these data, as of 2015, 2,517 JSOW units were produced. 1,983 units were produced for the U.S. Navy and 523 for the Air Force, with a total production plan of 3,334 units. All JSOW procurements were terminated in 2015.
It should be taken into account that a certain amount of JSOW was used during war against Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as during exercises. It is estimated that about 400 JSOWs were spent. Thus, it is possible to assume that there may be more than 2000 JSOW units left in the United States.
The question of whether decommissioned glide bombs were used for sale to foreign buyers remains open. It should also be noted that the Pentagon may keep a certain amount of these munitions in an emergency reserve. In any case, the available stockpiles, which are measured in thousands, are a very important feature of this weapon. The main requirement for weapons is not only the characteristics but also the quantitative parameter.
It should also be recalled that one of the reasons why AGM-154 JSOWs were chosen for transfer to Ukraine is that they can be converted into a cruise missile with a range of more than 500 km.
Earlier Defense Express reported that the White House had announced long-range cruise bombs for F-16 aircraft in new aid package for Ukraine.
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