JDAM precision bombs are already operating in Ukraine. Focus talking about what makes them really “smart”.
Recently, it became known that the Armed Forces of Ukraine received JDAM-ER high-precision bombs as military assistance from the USA, which, thanks to the retractable wings, can hit targets at a distance of more than 70 km. According to American journalists, these missiles will cause problems for the Russian armed forces. Focus understood how this type of ammunition works and what really makes it “smart”.
JDAM-ER precision bombs: the known
The JDAM-ER (Combined Direct Attack Munition – Extended Range) missile is equipped with a tail, a GPS-based inertial navigation system (INS) guidance system. Along the fuselage are special straps that allow the bomb to float through the air. As we mentioned earlier, the maximum range is just over 70 km and the minimum is 24 km.
Ukraine received bombs marked GBU-62, according to US Air Force General James Hecker. Journalists learned that this ammunition is also called Quickstrike-ER. They come as a set: JDAM-ER plus 2,000 lb (907 kg) Mk 64 Quickstrike warheads.
War Zone writes that the Mk 80 series grenades became the basis of Quickstrike and that the first was not intended to be used as general-purpose assault weapons. “Warheads supplied to Ukraine are likely to be Quickstrike mines, but recycled into ‘standard’ ones,” the article says.
Journalists suggested which equipment of the Ukrainian Air Force could serve as a platform for launching high-precision JDAM-ER bombs. They believe that the MiG-29 Fulcrum, Su-27 Flanker, Su-25 Frogfoot, Su-24 Fencer fighters can fulfill this task.
And although, as General Hecker says, the new bombs will only be enough to carry out “a few strikes”, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already using them. Several videos have been posted on social media showing what appears to be the JDAM-ER in action.
Even a small amount of JDAM-ER will cause problems for Russian forces. The fact is that this high-precision weapon is called the “hit and forget” type. The INS system helps the bomb hit its target even if the GPS signal is corrupted or lost for some other reason. The wings also increase the probability of hitting the target and guarantee the “survival” of the warhead.
General Hecker emphasized that the JDAM-ER will give the Ukrainian Air Force the ability to hit completely new targets that were previously inaccessible to the air-based weapons and ground systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces until recently. He noted that HIMARS and MLRS are among Ukraine’s longest-range and high-precision assault weapons, but their maximum range is about 69 km. They also carry 200 lb (90 kg) class warheads. However, JDAM-ER bombs could potentially carry warheads weighing 907 kg, causing further damage to the equipment and manpower of the RF Armed Forces.
After consulting with American military experts, War Zone journalists came to the conclusion that when launching the JDAM-ER, Ukrainian pilots can resort to a special maneuver – the pop-up maneuver. This will allow the fighter to remain at low altitudes while remaining invisible to enemy air defenses during the sortie.
In any case, the Armed Forces of Ukraine now have the means to target bridges, large structures, scattered air defense firing points and fortified bunkers of the RF Armed Forces.
How do JDAM-ER smart bombs work?
Above, we touched on the issues related to the operation of a high-precision air bomb superficially, now we propose to understand the topic in more detail.
Therefore, precision-guided munitions are equipped with a control system and a sensor system. The first is responsible for the accuracy of the movement of the projectile, and the second tracks the designated target on the ground. The sensor system transmits data about the target’s position to the control system, the control system processes this information and determines where the bomb must turn to aim at the target.
To literally turn the bomb, the control system sends a signal to the flight stabilizers – the actuators that regulate the wings. Wings function the same as airplane wings. By tilting it at a certain angle, the resistance acting on the bomb body increases. Depending on which side of the body the resistance is greater, the bomb will spin in that direction. This process continues until the “smart” ammunition reaches its target and the fuse mechanism ignites the detonator.
What is the difference between “smart” bombs?
Smart bombs differ in the way their sensor systems “see” targets. Until recently, most smart bombs were either TV/IR guided or laser guided. Both of these types are equipped with visual sensors to detect ground targets.
TV/IR guided bombs
Such bombs were equipped with a conventional television video camera or an infrared camera (for night vision), respectively. The equipment was installed in the bow. In remote control mode, the controller transmits the information via radio signals to the operator on the bomber. The operator then gave commands to the control system to direct the bomb into the air. At the same time, the bomb acted like a remote-controlled drone. In this mode, the operator can launch the projectile without aiming and then identify the target by focusing on the video sequence transmitted from the bomb’s camera.
Modern weapons work in automatic mode. In this case, before launching, the pilot finds the target with the help of the bomb’s video camera and sends a signal to it, aiming at the target. The control system, which processes the signal, directs the bomb so that the specified target image always remains in the center. For the bomb’s sensors, the target becomes the point at which it should hit.
laser guided bombs
These shells work a little differently. Instead of a video camera, they have a laser head, which is an array of photodiodes. For the bomb to “see” the target, the operator must “mark” the target with a high-intensity laser beam, whether on the ground or in the air. Because photodiodes are sensitive to a certain frequency of laser radiation, they can capture the reflection of the laser beam from the target.
It is worth noting that the laser pointer has a unique pulse circuit. Before dropping the bomb, the bomber’s onboard computer reports a certain sequence of blows to the missile’s control system. As the projectile is launched into the air, the control system adjusts itself to the pulses of the laser identifier and orients the bomb so that the reflected laser beam hits the center of the photodiode array. This allows the ammunition to fly directly towards the target.
Both systems described above are quite effective, but they have a significant drawback: the bomb sensor must maintain visual contact with the target. If there are any obstacles along the way (tall buildings, thick clouds, etc.), the bomb will likely deviate from its course.
How do modern “smart” bombs work?
One of the best bombs to date is Boeing’s JDAM. The US Air Force is armed with JDAMs with a BLU-109 (MK-84) warhead weighing 907 kg and a BLU-110 (MK-83) warhead weighing 454 kg.
Engineers equipped this model with advanced steering sections. The “Tail” kit includes adjustable tail fins, a control computer, an inertial guidance system and a GPS receiver. The GPS receiver processes the signals from the GPS satellites to determine the position of the bomb in space, and the INS system tracks the movements of the bomb from the moment it was launched and from where it was launched.
Important
Before firing a projectile, the aircraft uses its GPS receiver to identify specific targets on the ground. Just before it is released, the aircraft’s computer transmits its current location and the target’s GPS coordinates to the bomb’s computer. While the warhead is in the air, the GPS receiver processes signals from GPS satellites to determine its position. At the same time, the control system adjusts flight stabilizers to “point” the bomb in the right direction. According to the US Air Force, systems such as JDAM have an accuracy of 13 m.
It’s also notable that JDAM does a good job in bad weather because it gets all the information from satellites that aren’t blocked by clouds or other obstructions. Such a bomb does not need to “see” anything in order to find its way to the target. On the plus side, the ammunition is quite affordable – a tail pack (which can be added to an existing warhead) will cost around $20,000, which is much cheaper than $120,000 laser-guided bombs.
While the new smart bombs aren’t 100% accurate, they’re much better than their predecessors. That is why the arsenal of the US Armed Forces and the arsenal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was quickly replenished with them.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.