American JSOW glide bomb, a formidable opponent of Russian FAB bomb

On September 26, US President Joe Biden announced a military aid package worth more than $8 billion for Ukraine, including many modern weapons, ammunition and military equipment. This aid package includes glide bombs called Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). This is a precision-guided glide bomb, which is assessed to be able to help Ukraine overcome Russian air defense systems when launched at low altitude. Each JSOW precision-guided glide bomb costs $500,000.

According to RBC-Ukraine, this type of bomb can be launched from F-16 fighters and is equipped with retractable wings, helping to target at a distance of more than 100 km.

During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian military repeatedly used glide bombs with correction modules, and these precision bombs helped them achieve some success.

Previously, in an interview with Newsweek, editor of the military website SOFREP Guy McCardle described glide bombs as "a rather clever and scientific weapon" that Russia uses to "drop large amounts of ammunition at relatively low cost, but cause a lot of material and mental damage to the enemy".

Precision-guided bombs have been around since World War II, but the JSOW glide bomb the US sent to Ukraine is much more advanced. This glide bomb was developed by the US Navy and Air Force. JSOW was first tested in the 1990s and officially put into use in 1999. Many countries have used this bomb, including Australia, Finland, Greece, Poland, Türkiye..., according to RBC-Ukraine.

JSOW precision-guided glide bomb has many different variants such as AGM-154A, AGM-154B, AGM-154C...

The range of the JSOW glide bomb ranges from 22 to 130 km.

JSOW is a bomb that can adjust its flight path, allowing it to attack both stationary and moving targets. The JSOW glide bomb operates on a "fire and forget" basis, requiring no additional guidance after launch. It uses a GPS navigation system and an infrared seeker, allowing it to automatically identify targets. These technologies help the bomb resist electronic warfare measures. The JSOW precision glide bomb's good stealth capabilities will make it more difficult for Russian air defense systems to shoot it down.

According to experts, the range of JSOW ranges from 22 to 130 km. This weapon, if launched at high altitude, can reach a range of up to 130 km, and at low altitude, it can reach a distance of only 22 km. The AGM-154 achieves a range of 130 km when dropped from an altitude of 8 km, at a speed of 960 km/h. The JSOW-ER variants, thanks to their jet engines, can attack targets at a distance of 450-500 km, far exceeding the range of the Storm Shadow/SCALP EG missile currently used by Ukraine.

The F-16 can carry up to four JSOW bombs. The weapon preparation and integration process must be completed before the aircraft takes off. Aviation expert Valerii Romanenko said that the AGM-154 bomb is a formidable opponent of the FAB glide bomb used by Russia.

However, according to military expert Dmitry Drozdenko, “each weapon creates its own problems.” JSOW is a powerful weapon, capable of engaging a variety of threats, from groups of vehicles to air defense systems. However, it also has its limitations. The higher it flies, the farther its bombs can fly. But for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, flying high means being vulnerable to Russian radars and being vulnerable to long-range S-400 and S-500 air defense missile systems.

The Hai (According to Newsweek, Bulgarianmilitary)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/bom-luon-jsow-my-doi-thu-dang-gom-cua-bom-fab-nga-204241002220635537.htm