Australia donated several Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended-Range (JDAM-ER) glide bombs to Ukraine following their withdrawal from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) service.
That is according to Australian Defence, Ukrinform reports.
The Australian Defense Ministry’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan, released on October 30, revealed that Australia withdrew its inventory of Australian-built Mk.82 500lb JDAM-ER munitions from service in 2021 alongside the retirement of the F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet fleet.
“ADM can now confirm that at least some of those weapons were later transferred to Ukraine as part of Australia’s support for the embattled country. However, it is unclear when the munitions were donated to Ukraine,” the statement said.
The first known use of JDAM-ERs in Ukraine was by Ukrainian Air Force Mig-29s in March 2023, however those weapons were supplied by the U.S. It was not until April 2024 that Australia confirmed that it had supplied Ukraine with unspecified air-to-ground munitions.
In July 2024, the Australian Defense Ministry announced a further donation of unspecified air-to-ground weapons as part of a $250 million package.
