Ukraine Combat Tests American Bomb Amid Bakhmut Siege

Ukraine appears to have used the US-supplied Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) smart bomb for the first time in the war. A Russia-installed official in Donetsk says the Ukrainian military dropped a bomb equipped with the JDAM guidance kit near Bakhmut. The US-made bomb was allegedly dropped to test the possibility of employing it from Soviet-made aircraft. Experts say the JDAM-ER would give Ukraine the same range as M31 rockets fired by HIMARS, but with a warhead up to 10 times the size. Meanwhile, a US official said that Ukraine is likely receiving the best fuses, which will enhance the bomb’s capability. A 226 kg JDAM-ER bomb with a DSU-33 radar fuse, set to explode 20 feet above the ground, would be like a wrecking ball, as per a US official. 0:00 - Introduction 0:35 - Kyiv Drops Us-made JDAM Bomb Near Bakhmut for the First Time 2:00 - What Makes JDAM a Unique Bomb 3:23 - How JDAM-ER Toss-bombing May Help Ukraine 4:03 - How JDAM Can Turn More Lethal With a Fuse 4:53 - How Effective Can JDAM-ER Be on Ukraine’s Battlefield?