US gives Ukraine bombs for F-16 with up to 110 km range - ABC

A Pentagon spokesperson told the agency that this is the first time the Ukrainian military will receive JSOW cruise missiles as part of a $375 million aid package.

These bombs can be installed on F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has received. The bombs have retractable wings that help them reach targets up to 70 miles (about 110 km) away. There are several versions of the JSOW, but the ones being sent to Ukraine, according to a US official, are equipped with cluster munitions.

ABC sources also report that the United States will soon announce more than $2 billion in aid to Ukraine as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

Unlike the $350 million package, which sends weapons from existing US stockpiles to Ukraine, USAI funds are used for procurement contracts that can take months or years to complete. According to the official, the new aid will mostly be used to purchase ammunition for Ukraine.

JSOW bombs

The JSOW may be mistakenly called a missile. It is a low-observable precision-guided bomb weighing about 500 kg.

The difference is that a missile can be launched, while a bomb is designed to be dropped from an aircraft. Analysts assume that the Ukrainian military will be able to use the JSOW at a distance of several tens of kilometers due to Russian air defense and air superiority.

The cluster version of the JSOW bomb carries 145 submunitions, which weigh 1.5 kg each and have a combined cumulative and fragmentation effect.

United States aid to Ukraine

The White House has announced a new aid package of $375 million for the Ukrainian army. It includes bombs, ammunition for HIMARS, artillery shells, missiles, anti-tank systems, M1117 armored personnel carriers, and other equipment.

Earlier, the media reported that Ukraine will receive medium-range bombs for F-16 fighters for the first time from the United States.