Ukraine has been using American JDAM-ER glide bombs for quite some time, with their integration onto Soviet-era MiG-29s completed in the winter of 2022-2023, and the first successful use occurring last March.
Since then, detailed photos have appeared, along with explanations of how this precision weapon was integrated under the wing of the Air Force's aircraft. Now, thanks to an official video published by the Ukrainian Air Force Command, even more details have been revealed.
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Including the range of use. It's worth noting that the drop range of the JDAM-ER from high-altitude flight is well-known — 72 km from an altitude of 12 km — but its range from a pull-up maneuver has been a topic of some debate.
The video specifically shows the destruction of a crossing, which is easy to identify as the bridge over the Seym River in the Kursk region.
The location of the drop is more challenging to identify, as the footage shows only one distinct object near a forested area that can be used as a reference. However, in current public Sentinel images from ESA, it can be found near the village of Zhary in the Sumy region.
Thus, the drop distance from a pitch-up maneuver, where the aircraft initially flies at a low altitude and then climbs just before the drop, was approximately 40 km.
At the same time, the actual altitude of the Ukrainian MiG-29 during the release, as well as its speed, remain in question. Of course, these assumptions about the JDAM-ER's effective range are based on the provided footage, and it is impossible to be 100% certain that this specific bridge was attacked from that area.
It is important to note that only this release mode allows Ukrainian aviation to use this munition effectively. The Ukrainian aircraft must stay hidden from russian fighters and air defense systems. Meanwhile, the enemy can drop their bombs with a UMPK kit from an altitude of 60 km, and after modernization, at even greater distances, without exposing themselves to significant danger due to their considerable air superiority.
The video also demonstrated something that has been discussed for quite some time: the programming of JDAM-ER and, evidently, other Western precision-guided munitions occurs on the ground. For this purpose, a laptop is connected to the bomb, and the flight mission is uploaded.
We should also note that this integration of Western digital weapons onto Soviet analog systems is a first in history. For this purpose, very interesting solutions were sometimes required; for example, an iPad is used to launch AGM-88 HARM from MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft.
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