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    Australia Sends Ukraine Surplus JDAM-ER Munitions



    G’day friends, Wes O’Donnell here—U.S. Army and Air Force veteran, journalist, and fan of Australia’s military ingenuity.

    In today’s video, I’m breaking down how Australia’s retired arsenal of F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet JDAM-ER munitions found a second life on the battlefields of Ukraine. That’s right—Down Under is stepping up to support Ukraine with precision-guided bombs, and it’s making a big difference.

    I’ll dive into how Australia repurposed its surplus JDAM-ER kits to give Ukraine an edge against Russian forces. These kits transform “dumb” bombs into GPS-guided munitions with a range of 43 nautical miles (80 km), keeping Ukrainian aircraft safely out of range of Russian air defenses. But there’s a twist: Russia’s electronic warfare systems are causing challenges. From GPS jamming to the U.S.’s innovative solutions like anti-jam seekers, I’ll explore how the battlefield is evolving.

    You’ll also learn:

    How Ukraine’s modified MiG-29s and F-16s are deploying these weapons.

    Why Russian jamming tactics sometimes backfire (literally).

    The future of JDAM-ER upgrades, including bombs that hunt jammers.

    And because I can’t resist, there’s a bit of Aussie love here. From the cool Royal Australian Air Force roundel to my own Christmas tree decorated with kangaroo ornaments, Australia’s military spirit truly shines.

    This story is about more than just munitions—it’s about adaptability and cooperation between allies. Tune in to see how Ukraine is using Aussie ingenuity to fight back and why precision-guided weapons like the JDAM-ER are shaping the future of modern warfare.

    Advance Australia, and as always, glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes. Slava Ukraini!

    #Ukraine #JDAMER #Australia #UkraineWar #MilitaryTechnology #PrecisionWeapons #ElectronicWarfare #RussiaUkraineWar #AussieSupport #SlavaUkraini #славаукраїні #europe #raaf

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    49 Comments

    3. @billwhite1603 on

      The extended range JDAM is pretty new. How does Australia even have them, let alone "extra." This is a method to try and buffer America, but help Ukraine hit more distant targets. Putin and China keep pushing this war, cutting cables, trying to blow up planes, assassinations and what not. The US is trying to counter. It's time for advisors and super long range AMRAAMs.

    11. @smileydave3907 on

      Why is the Kangaroo the Australian Infantry Symbol on the Regimental Hat Badge. ? Because the Kangaroo can not take a backward step !!!!! AND YES it can also kick you in the Balls

    12. @samuel5823yo on

      Thanks for explaining about the GPS aspect. I had read the leaks and I myself had believed that the missiles were failing significantly. Thanks for clearing up that misunderstanding.

    14. @u.s.1974 on

      Hi Wes, you need to work on your mathematical skills. As 1 mile is about 1.6 Kilometres, 43 miles is about 69 kilometres, not 80. Greetings from Germany. Slava Ukraini.

    16. @smacmcarthur on

      Proud to be an Australian. I’m positive that at the mention of boots on the ground Australia will find a way to be there supporting their brothers in arms.

    17. @RobertLewis-el9ub on

      JDAM ER Surplus? Seems odd, RAAF purchased 24 Super hornet F/A-18 E/F in 2008/12 that are configured to deploy Mk 80 series weapons. Perhaps a reason is the Mk82s (if Filled with explosives) were approaching useable shelf-life. Bombs if un-filled can sit in store indefinitely (they are just lumps of metal). Alternatively, the strap on flight kits might have been upgraded to a newer model. Tactics change possible – perhaps RAAF only intend to deploy Mk 84 in the future?

    20. @stephenking27 on

      I’m proud of my country 🇦🇺 for donating JDAM-ERs and other weapon systems to a fellow democracy on freedom’s frontline. God bless Ukraine… you are fighting for us all.
      Another great video, Wes. Thanks.

    30. @stevewoodroff6983 on

      Hi a, Wes… Love your channel… Just an important point about the Wedgtail… That's short for Wedgtail Eagle, the largest Roptor in Australia… The Ozzie government just wasn't only the first to buy this platform… They initiated this research and development of this platform… From start to finish… It was almost cancelled a number of times because of technical delays and cost over runs… Do go right into these issues in your upcoming vog, as it was not a straightforward program at that time… It's not just a cool name… But is still cutting edge tec even if more than decade old… I look forward to all your content…

    33. @aussietaipan8700 on

      Wild Wesel, like in Vienham, these were used to lock onto radar emissions and take them out, perhaps a few JDAMS could be used as WW's to lock onto jammers and take them out?

    37. @wattlebough on

      Reminder for our international friends that the Royal Australian Air Force, the RAAF, is referred to by Aussies as the R Double A F or just short “a” Raff. Not Raaaaaf and not R aye aye eff.

    38. @Alex.The.Lionnnnn on

      Look at us being a bunch of sick hunts
      No disrespect bro, but Texas and Australia are pretty different. Nothing massive on the surface, but we'd have some massive culture shocks if we swapped places for as couple of months lol.

    41. @davidl6041 on

      Why not add an anti radiation module to the JDAM, if the sensor picks up a very strong source of RF energy on the same frequency as GPS, fly towards the strongest signal, won't be jamming so well after that.

    45. @artistjoh on

      Australia is rapidly becoming a significant military power that packs the punch of the boxing kangaroo. Kangaroos are one of only a couple of animals that cannot walk backwards, and therefore can only ever move forwards. The inability to walk backwards is the main reason the animal is used as a symbol for the country

    48. @JammieFortier on

      whatever, but I don't think most Australians are good with being told they are "like" Texans. you are smart enough to know why that is but i guess you need to promote your channel to foreign audiences. just know that your opinion on that similarity is just that, opinion, and not at all based on objective fact.

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