We are talking about Australian-made Mk.82 JDAM-ER ammunition, which has been withdrawn from service.
Australia transferred to Ukraine JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended-Range) glide bombs with a higher flight range. This is what the Australian Defense reported yesterday.
It is indicated that the 500-pound (over 220 kg – ed.) Australian-made Mk.82 JDAM-ER ammunition was withdrawn from service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in conjunction with the decommissioning of the F/A – 1 Classic Hornet fighter fleet.
“ADM can now confirm that at least some of these weapons were later transferred to Ukraine as part of Australia’s support for the warring country. However, it is unclear when the ammunition was transferred to Ukraine,” said report.
The publication writes that the first known use of JDAM-ER in Ukraine was carried out by the Ukrainian MiG-29 in March 2023, but these weapons are supplied by the United States. Only in April 2024 did Australia confirm that it had supplied Ukraine with unspecified air-to-ground munitions.
And in July 2024, the Australian Department of Defense announced a further donation of unspecified air-to-ground weapons as part of a $250 million package. These could be JDAM-ER bombs.
Let’s recall that in 2023, Ukraine submitted a request to Australia for F-18 fighters. We are talking about several dozen aircraft. In total, there are approximately 100 F-18s of various modifications in Australia.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.