Experts dissect 'fatal weakness' of US smart bombs

Experts from Popular Mechanics magazine found that the US-made satellite-guided bombs supplied to Ukraine are ineffective on the battlefield. The smart bombs use a set of control wires to turn conventional bombs into precision-guided weapons, but they have repeatedly failed in the field due to Russian electronic warfare jamming.

Innovation on the battlefield

In the conflict with Russia, the West has supported Ukraine with advanced US weapons to equip the "aging" fighter jets of the Ukrainian air force.

In September 2022, the Ukrainian Air Force surprised the world when it revealed that it was using the US-made AGM-88 High-Speed ​​Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), launched from MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, to attack Russian air defense systems.

The AGM-88 was used to attack Russian air defense radars, allowing Ukrainian jets and helicopters to move more safely in extremely dangerous frontline areas.

Smart bomb with GPS guidance system (JDAM).

In December 2022, the US government went one step further, announcing that it would send Joint Directed Munitions (JDAM) to Ukraine. Guided by GPS satellite signals, these bombs would provide Ukraine with a quick and easy precision-guided aerial bombing capability.

But now, four months after they were deployed, the US government is finding that JDAM smart bombs are falling victim to Russian electronic warfare systems, according to Politico magazine.

How JDAM Works

The JDAM smart bomb is a prime example of using new technology to modernize older weapons. The JDAM is essentially a kit that includes a GPS receiver, a computer memory, and a mobile bomb fin.

This kit is attached to ordinary and cheap bombs such as the 230kg Mk-82 bomb, the 460kg Mk-83 bomb, the 920kg Mk-84 bomb and the end result is a precision guided weapon system.

JDAMs are loaded onto aircraft like other bombs. Once airborne, the pilot can enter the GPS coordinates of a ground target into the JDAM's computer memory.

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet tests the JDAM in 2003.

The plane usually climbs to a high altitude to drop the bomb, the higher the plane, the farther the bomb can glide to the target. Then, the bomb creates a straight line towards the target coordinates, its fins have the effect of adjusting the direction when the bomb falls freely in the air, the target deviation usually fluctuates within 5m.

Russian electronic warfare

According to leaked US government documents, Ukraine’s JDAM bombs are highly inaccurate. The problem also applies to guided missiles, including the GMLRS missile of the HIMARS launch system. The leaked documents blame Russia’s electronic warfare efforts, specifically radio jamming.

Russia is indeed the preeminent power in battlefield jamming. The Russian military has been keenly aware of the West's use of precision-guided weapons, especially satellite-guided weapons, and has made significant efforts to neutralize that advantage.

Russia has been at the forefront of developing systems capable of jamming GPS and the Russian Armed Forces currently maintain five electronic warfare brigades to jam the battlefield.

Russian R-330Zh Zhitel electronic warfare system.

GPS jamming is widespread in Russia, within Russia's neighboring countries, and especially where Russian forces operate abroad. In December 2022, there were multiple reports of GPS jamming in Russian cities.

The move was in response to Ukrainian drone attacks on air bases inside Russia and was intended to confuse drones using GPS to navigate to their targets.

In Syria, Russian GPS jamming is also carried out to protect military bases, creating disruptions in GPS services in places as far away as Turkey, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.

Military experts have described the situation that explains why smart bombs miss their targets.

First, a Ukrainian Air Force MiG pilot on a strike mission marked the GPS coordinates of a ground target on a JDAM bomb.

As the Ukrainian plane approached the front line, Russian air defense radars detected it and alerted nearby electronic warfare units.

Electronic warfare troops will turn on Krasukha-4, Pole 21- or R-330Zh Zhitel jammers broadcasting on GPS frequencies to block the satellite's radio signals aside. The bomb, unable to use GPS satellite signals as a reference point for navigation, will fall into a "stupor" and miss its target.

US Air Force crew members load a GBU-32 JDAM bomb into an F-22.

Reasons for JDAM bomb failure

The JDAM still has a backup inertial guidance system (INS) that is said to be able to get the bomb to its target within about 30m. Although it is a bit slower, it is still said to be effective.

That is enough to destroy unprotected targets such as fuel and ammunition dumps, artillery positions, and other lightly armored vehicles and weapons. It still poses a danger to enemy infantry.

However, experts say JDAM bombs are probably being prioritized for more important missions. One is that JDAM is being used against armored targets that require direct attack, such as tanks and bunkers, and INS is not accurate enough to destroy them.

Another possibility is that the backup INS was not delivered along with the JDAM to the Ukrainian fighters. Another reason is that the Ukrainian fighters were flying so low that the bombs, after losing GPS, lacked the flight distance to make course corrections that would allow them to land close enough to their targets.

There are workarounds, such as newer JDAM bombs that use both GPS and laser guidance. The problem, however, is that Ukrainian fighters lack the laser designators needed for the system to work.

In short, the US and Ukraine now need new, more effective weapons or ways to destroy the jamming equipment. Russia has invested heavily in electronic warfare technologies, and this investment is paying off.

Le Hung (Source: Popular Mechanics)

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