Biden confirms delivery of JSOW long-range cruise bombs to Ukraine

Joe Biden has instructed the US Department of Defense to allocate all remaining funds under the Security Assistance Initiative to Ukraine until the end of his term in office.

“I also have authorized $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority to ensure this authority does not expire, so that my Administration can fully utilize the funding appropriated by Congress to support the drawdown of U.S. equipment for Ukraine and then replenish US stockpiles,” Biden adds.

Among other things, the US Department of Defense will allocate $2.4 billion to help Ukraine, which will provide the country with:

• air defense systems;
• unmanned aerial systems;
• air-to-ground munitions.

In particular, the aid package will include:

• long-range Joint Stand-off Weapon ammunition;
• an additional Patriot air defense battery and missiles.

“To build the capacity of Ukraine’s air force, I have directed the Department of Defense to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, including by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year,” Biden adds.

Joint Stand-off Weapon

The JSOW is a high-tech guided bomb designed to carry out attacks from a distance without risking manned aircraft. This weapon uses GPS navigation and an inertial control system to precisely engage targets on land and at sea.

The JSOW has several variants, the most famous of which is the JSOW-A, which is equipped with a high-explosive warhead.

The JSOW can be dropped from various types of combat aircraft, such as the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, and F-35, making it versatile for use in a variety of military scenarios.

Among other characteristics:

• length: 4.06 meters;
• diameter: 33 centimeters;
• weight: 483 kilograms;
• wingspan: 2.7 meters.

Range:

• low-altitude launch - 22 km
• launch from a high altitude - 130 km.