US approves large JDAM-ER glide bomb sale to Ukraine

The United States has approved a possible foreign military sale to Ukraine for Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range kits and related equipment, a package the US State Department values at an estimated 373.6 million dollars.

The US State Department made the determination on 5 May 2026, with the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notifying Congress under transmittal number 26-30. According to the notification, Ukraine has requested 1,200 KMU-572 JDAM tail kits and 332 KMU-556 JDAM tail kits, along with a range of supporting items that includes FMU-139 fuze systems, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, weapons software, technical publications, transportation support, and US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics services.

The JDAM family converts unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons by fitting a tail kit with GPS and inertial guidance, allowing the resulting munition to strike fixed coordinates in any weather. The Extended Range variant adds a wing kit that lets the bomb glide considerably further after release, increasing standoff distance so that the launching aircraft can stay clear of shorter-range air defences. The two tail-kit types named in the request correspond to different bomb weights within that family, giving Ukraine a mix of warhead sizes against a range of target types.

Ukraine has fielded American JDAM and JDAM-ER weapons since 2023, integrating them onto its Soviet-era combat aircraft through adapter work supported by the United States, and the munitions have become a regular feature of Ukrainian strikes.