A high number of American smart bombs are failing to achieve their objective in Ukraine, a Pentagon official told Politico confirming information in documents leaked by Jack Teixeira.
The White House ordered The Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) be sent to Ukraine late last year. In March, the Pentagon confirmed the weapon was operational. While the document leaked by Teixeira is undated, it shows that Ukraine fired JDAMS on February 15 and 21.
The JDAM-ER is a kit that attaches to unguided "dumb bombs," upgrading the weapons into GPs guided "smart bombs" with a range of over 50 miles.
Last week, a highly-classified Pentagon document showed that four out of nine JDAMS fired by Ukrainian pilots missed their targets due to Russian GPs jamming capabilities. The document says that other artillery systems such as the M270 and HIMARs are also being impacted by Moscow’s forces using GPs jamming.
In response to the Russian tactics, the document recommends that Ukrainian forces destroy or disrupt the jammers to the "maximum extent possible before JDAM-ER employments."
A second issue causing JDAM failures in Ukraine is inappropriately arming the munition. Politico reported an unnamed defense official confirmed "In some cases, the bomb fuzes were not armed when they were released, causing the weapon to fail to detonate." The official claimed the Ukrainian military put in place safeguards to prevent the mistake from repeating.
It is unclear how many JDAM-ERs the US has sent to Ukraine, the document notes that "1,000 arming lanyards" were provided to Kiev, and Washington planned to send more soon. This suggests that the White House was planning to send more than one thousand of the "smart bomb" kits to Ukraine.
Teixeira was arrested last week and charged under the Espionage Act. The 21-year-old is a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Teixeira posted the documents in a discord channel.
Many of the documents that Teixeira posted have painted a grim picture of Ukraine’s military abilities, contradicting positive assessments the White House has presented to the American public. While about 50 documents he posted are now publicly available, the Washington Post claims to have viewed hundreds more.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
I have no wish to sound repetitive………………………………………..But,
I have no desire to see us in a war with Russia. I am pissed with Russia for what they did in Ukraine. I think every possible effort should be made to condemn Russia’s actions… But, we are walking a very fine line here… One slightly wrong move, on anybody’s part and we could be in the thick of it. It’s like a nuclear collision course…. Inhale………………………………………..
NUCLEAR WINTER IS NOT SOMETHING I CARE TO EXPERIENCEE.
Of course you don’t, Donna.
And the slaughter of Russian ethnics in Donbas is something THEY didn’t wish to experience.
Donna lives in New Mexico. She has more to lose than us.
Good point, Robert!——though I personally would prefer vaporization to a slow death by radiation poisoning.
When I read “Midnight in Chernobyl”, the ways those who were exposed died was enough to make one weep.
Might be a bit too late for it. The repeat visit by Chinese Defence Minister to Moscow is resukting in Russia-China strategy coming into view. What started as a game neocons played in 2014 with tge inimmitable Victoria Nuland, blossomed into a full fledged NATO challenge to Russia — a trifecta of terririzing Rusdian speakers of Ukraine, armament of Nazi Ukraine and NATO full throated promise to defeat Russia.
All right, the trifecta had been understood, message received. Russia responded snd contrary to loud pronouncements of Rusdia’s failures, at present controls three key strategic areas of Ukraine.
Very unobsevant analysts clones of each otger never notice that Rusdia never utilizes more force than needed for an objective. Strategically up to this point reactive on the battlefield.
But it is not tge Uktsinian battlefield that matters. The shift in global allignment is under way. And all the preparations that we see at present are the result of what Russia and China see shaping the potential military confrontation.
Clearly, they see more than we do. Clearly, they are getting ready to respond militarily on two fronts, Ruropean and Pacific.
I do not like what I see at all, What started as a neocon game is shaling as a global confrontation. This may be American Suez moment. Too overstretched and with reluctant and weak allies.
I also “don’t like what I see at all.” The neocons have painted themselves into a corner. No way the neocons are going to backdown from this war even under the threat of human nuclear annihilation. They don’t know how to backdown. It’s not in their DNA. We are all going to pay with our lives for their ultimate foolishness.
The neocons in the U.S. and EU need to just back down. The embarrassment of losing this proxy war that was concocted and pushed by the U.S. will be forgotten. It just may save the neocons and their families death by incineration or long term radiation poisoning. Now, I know that quitting the war would not be profitable for the MIC, but neither would a nuclear war.
I wish. They erroneously believe they can win a nuclear war and besides, Satan has no family.
Never fear, Bianca, ISRAHELL will be on our side!
(Unless the little parasite has already attached itself to another host.)
Weak and JOKE allies.
Donna, you need to order the little $10 book, “How the West Brought War to Ukraine.” You would not be condemning Russia if you read it.
The two aren’t mutually exclusive. I believe Russia was provoked but I don’t believe they had to invade when they did.
What other option did Putin have? Maybe some targeted assassinations?
What option did Putin have other than invading?
Well … not invading.
LOL!
We didn’t even put up with Cuba getting lethal Russian arms and Cuba is much further away, than Ukraine is to Russia.
He would have been a very poor leader for Russia then.
Wow.
Yeah, because sticking your country’s teat in a wringer is “great leadership” lesson #1.
I don’t have answers to that. I’m of the opinion that Russia’s existence wasn’t hanging in the balance. I don’t see any other reason for war. I wouldn’t kill anyone unless they were about to kill me.
Then you might be a sitting duck and not take action until it was too late.
I meant self-defense. And I don’t believe in preemptive self-defense. Russia wasn’t in danger of being attacked.
If Russia would drop a Nuke today, you would still blame the West. Boy, I wish I was Putin sometimes, I’d do whatever the Fuk I want and still have a bunch of crazies out there in full support of my actions.
You are not smart enough to be Putin.
So smart he is taking Russia down with him. Keep on cheering him, he will need it.
We shall see who gets taken down.
Look at you, finally evolving with a drop on Russia. I’m having a beer to celebrate. Cheers.
Nice to find out about Russias capabilities in a relatively safe way.
We’re also giving the Russians an opportunity to learn how to outsmart our smart bombs. The cluster f*%k keeps clustering.
They already knew – they are not as backwards as many may (want to) make you believe – the only question is to what degree can they deploy their jamming technology and to what degree does it interfere with their own operations.
As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” The more experience they have jamming our smart bombs, the better they’ll get at it. Personally, I would like to see a universal jam on bombs of all type.
It should be an eventuality.
I believe that the are doing this through jamming the GPS signal – if I’m right it works for all smart bombs using that signal – they have been jamming GPS before it is not AFAIK very difficult for – the problem likely being that they also jam (some of) their own signals/communication – that at least was partially why the Byraktar’s could work much more effectively in the fiist week(s?) of the war – as the Russians were jamming Ukrainian air defense assets (but also at least partially their own). So no real need of practice AIUI.
American war machine is great but it can’t succeed against Russia. It can’t even make Russia weaker unless nukes are used massively (which would be also suicidal for US). In the last 13 months, the quality of Russian army is improved drastically. Russian military industry is doing now much better than a year ago. In a way, this war is very much beneficial for Russian army.
If we look at a bigger picture and consider the geopolitical processes triggered by the escalation of this conflict, it is obvious that the balance of powers shifted greatly in favor of Asia, and in a lesser degree, in favor of Africa and Latin America too. If US leadership persists in this policy, it can only aggravate the situation for itself.
As evidenced by them deploying ever older equipment in Ukraine? The ‘latest’ batches including T55’s and T54’s Tanks.
Again your evidence being what exactly – the Russians have presumably invested heavily in their military industries, yet they are no longer capable of servicing foreign contracts and therefore losing important export contracts, and we still have to see them deploying equipment beyond a few proto types of any of their new generation weapons.
This is the one point you make which I think I agree with, but how is this a bad thing?
I should add that Asia etc. are improving their situation at the cost of Russia – the US is unfortunately certainly not losing power – they have as some here have noticed mainly (as-well as the European partners) supplying Ukraine with old equipment ripe for replacement and getting funds to replace it with newer and better equipment – and NB more equipment.
The one thing that actually has me ‘worried’ is that Russia’s inability to service the states it has military contracts with, is going to shift the balance of power between these countries and other countries in their regions. This could disrupt the balance of power many places making war more likely.
Michael, you seem so well “informed” concerning these military matters that I can only assume you’re on the front lines.
With a Danish brigade.
Edit ADD: There are no Danish brigades in Ukraine.
We have this really clever thing called division of labor, which allows us a much higher level of productivity. Sending old people to do essentially young peoples tasks should in general be avoided when possible. I have not had the ‘pleasure’ of serving in the armed forces so it would have to be a really desperate time for me to be send to the front.
I see these suggestions time and again – like why do you not fight, or why does Zelenskyy not fight – the simple answer is that they are doing better work for their nations not getting in the way at the front – if I went I would be in the way and consuming resources that are presumably more than a bit difficult to supply to the front.
I’m flattered that you think me well informed – all I do is to look at the evidence that is there for most of us to observe and then use a bit of time to look up the stuff on the internet – as for this comment, it was/is very simple stuff – in WWI (which the SMO most closely resembles) the consumption of munitions also far outstripped peacetime production – this will (hopefully) always be the case.
The Russians started out with very much larger stockpiles of munitions and equipment – thus it took them longer to be forced into conserving consumption, Ukraine started out with lower stockpiles and when other countries started supplying Ukraine their stockpiles (even smaller in most cases) were even faster depleted – and they have been slower in deciding to ramp up production.
Sarcasm clearly isn’t your strong point.
Au contraire, mon ami.
Don’t get too attached, Michael… my heart belongs to Wars 😉
lol
Just a gentle reminder Donna…Wars is MINE! 😉
You presented objective credible information yet you managed to get 3 dislikes and counting.
Sure, there are a lot of people who do not like realities – who would as it happens shoot the messenger 🙂
While i disagree with the comments above, at least they are well meaning. Your pile of nonsense is just vile propaganda.
The T55’s and T54’s Tanks are being used away from the front lines. They are a cheap, effective and easy to use mobile fortified control points. I think your implication is that Russia has run out of tanks……..really?
How long now have you been telling us Russia is out of ammunition. How very Machiavellian of you. Pure Projection.
I’m not implying that the Russians have run out of tanks just presenting evidence through them deploying very old equipment that they are not enjoying a significant increased military production capacity.
The same can be seen on the Ukrainian side where they will as far as I know, soon be fielding Leopard I tanks (produced in 1980’ties), and are already using T55’s – and I am not saying that such weapons are useless, only that fielding them is indicative of a MIC not quite capable of producing as much as is being worn out/destroyed.
And for the record I’ve not been telling anyone that the Russians were running out of ammunition, only that their consumption has had to be reduced to a level closer matching the level they can produce it at.
The exact same thing holds true for the Ukrainians, who will also not be running out of AA missiles, but who will also soon have to limit their consumption to the levels that these are being supplied at.
If you just stick to reading what I actually write you will make fewer errors trying to mock it.
Anatol Lieven:
“[A]s one soldier said, the Russian approach now is not ‘human waves’ as has sometimes been described in the Western media. The Russians will pound and pound with artillery, in which they have superiority, and then if they think they have crushed the Ukrainian positions, will send in small groups of soldiers to try to occupy them, after which they will bring up reinforcements. In Bakhmut and surroundings, the Russians no longer often use tanks, because the Ukrainians have destroyed so many of them.”
Tanks are obsolete, which is why it’s silly of the US/EU/NATO to emphasize sending e.g. Leopards and M-1s.
I am sure tanks are obsolete if used poorly and/or against troops equipped with modern shoulder fired anti tank missiles (ATM). I’m less sure that this holds true everywhere (e.g. the Russians do not currently have modern shoulder fired ATM’s) nor am I sure that the Ukrainians will be using their tanks in the same fashion as the Russians.
I’m happy to acknowledge that I’m no expert on this matter so I could easily be wrong, but I note that tanks have been declared obsolete several times before and every time too soon – but I guess like with the horse at some point it will be true.
But AFAIK tanks and other armored vehicles were used to achieve the breakthrough in the Kharkiv offensive – the notion being that the tanks are important for achieving the breakthrough while less armored or more mobile vehicles can exploit the breakthrough.
Tanks not supported by qualified mobile infantry has been obsolete since at least WWII,
OK, let me rephrase: The longstanding military doctrine of taking urban/built-up areas with dismounted infantry supported by tanks is obsolete, because now the light infantry, burrowed into the built-up terrain on the defensive, will have effective tank-killers.
After 14 months, the Russians have presumably noted the lesson both with respect to the offensive tactics they’re using, and with respect to acquiring or upgrading weapons for similar use against tanks if in the defensive on built-up terrain.
In what sense are tanks not obsolete? Well, they’re now just slightly better-protected mechanized artillery. And for that purpose, the old T-54s, etc., are likely good enough, and more expendable than newer tanks.
If not used in an urban environment a Challenger II or a Leopard II tank is very much better protected than a T55/54 – in that they not only can defeat the shoulder launched Russian ATM’s but also most of the more mobile antitank guns – add to this that they have much better optics and you have a tank that is more likely to see the enemy before they see it, most victories goes to the side which gets the first chance to shoot.
As for the T55/54 being more expendable – well in price absolutely, but the fact that it requires one extra crewman for each tank does suggest that their usage will come at the price of more lives lost. But the fact that they are used suggests that not having them is even worse.
I should add that I think the Russians are not going to use them as expendable front line tanks, I do not believe that they are that short of tanks, they more likely are going to use them as mobile (almost) artillery – because although they had a lot of guns and mobile artillery, they are more likely to face at least temporary shortages of these, due to them having to have worn out components (their barrels at least are likely to be in need of change).
I naturally could be mistaken, though if I am then the Russians are even worse than I thought.
Tanks are indispensable in the open area but in the towns they are inefficient. Anyway they need the cover from air. Particular good tanks are working in combination with helicopters.
Oh they would be very effective in a powerhouse like Grenada or Panama.
The Russian MOD is fighting a very successful war of attrition disarming NATO (Ukraine was disarmed in March 2022), tank by tank, artillery by artillery, air defense by air defense. Russia now will fight NATO to the last European.
NATO overall has accumulated the following equipment losses;
407 Aircraft, 228 helicopters, 3760 UAV’s, 415 Anti Aircraft systems, 8689 tanks inc. APC’s, 1086 multiple rocket launchers, 4600 rocket launchers and 9542 military automotive equipment.
What the empire looses in the Ukraine, they loose for the final Russian attack on NATO. Remember Russia attacked Ukraine just as NATO was about to unleash in the Donbass. Russia has shown they will pre-emptively attack to defend the Motherland when the time is dictated by events on the ground.
That leaves only ballistic nukes! No, Putin will not attack NATO, though it may discretely eliminate installations positioned near Russia, after a deconfliction notice. The Empire, in an advanced stage of morbidity, moral & economic, is rapidly self-destructing internally.
Any links to those numbers?
The numbers are similar to TASS’s
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 404 Ukrainian warplanes, 227 helicopters, 3,622 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,472 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,076 multiple rocket launchers, 4,462 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,199 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine https://tass.com/politics/1596657
8,472 tanks is laughable and I cannot believe the Kremlin continues using this number. Ukraine had less than 1000 operational tanks before the war now down to 30 because all the other that haven’t yet been delivered have been destroyed as well.
What’s amazing and embarrassing for the second largest ground force is the world is that they are fighting a depleted Ukrainian Army and have barely taken Bakhmut.
But I know, it’s because they decided to do in a year plus what they could’ve done in a week because they want to bleed NATO. Great strategy.
Which part of “and other armored combat vehicles” is unclear to you? An MRAP or equivalent is an “armored combat vehicle.” So is a BMP or BRDM. Hell, put a soldier with a rifle on a bicycle that has scratch-resistant paint and it becomes an “armored combat vehicle.”
Key word TANKS; Over the past year the Kremlin has reported numerous times to have destroyed 3,500 plus tanks. They are now adding ” other armored vehicles” to bring the number even higher. Even combining the two types, 8,472 is a ridiculous number.
Bakhmut’s Ukranian forces are holding roughly 20% of the burbs but as you point out it’s more or less taken.
What is beginning to be telling is the western press starting to describe it as a slow grind forward for Putin in their descriptions and those leaks confirm it isn’t going as well as they been telling us (gee, that has never happened before has it?)
Ukraine has shared if it falls they do want to explore talking so perhaps it’s time?
What’s the big news here? It was indicated time and time again in Iraq that “smart bombs” don’t have a very high IQ.
Agreed. But it’s a slogan used just like democracy, freedom, and targeted sanctions to obtain our approval.
What do you mean? They only killed Iraqi soldiers and destroyed Iraqi military installations. I saw it on TV. Civilians just carried on as normal because they knew they were safe. I’d rather live in the US than Russia, China or Iran. You anti-American types just don’t get it. Thought I’d reply for Kenneth/FWD/3270.
Wars, you’re a real pip, ya know that? 😉
OK it is actually comical that contrary-man would actually wrack his brain in an effort to convince himself and his boss’ that the russia is the bad guy.
oh poor contrary-man, take a break already.
I guess they are only super effective when used against goats, or Afghan children. Typical.
No, they are super effective when air superiority or air supremacy has been established. Despite the setback, Ukrainians are learning and will be able to employ them effectively if they can outsmart the Russian GPS jammers which isn’t that hard to achieve.
Keep cheering, fanboy; not even the Pentagon believes your fairy tales any more. Is Zelensky paying for your posts with the US taxpayer money he skimmed, or is that all going for his wife’s boob jobs?
OUCH….!!!!!!!!!
My fairy tales are more credible than yours, Mr. “HIMARS HIMARS HIMARS are only a hype and Ukraine will never retake Kherson City. ”
My claims so far have not been way off like yours. How is that for a fanboy?
OUCH….!!!!! Pseudonym he has, Lemony alpaca. He was Don Bacon until he became universally condemned, time after Time & got many thumbs down, then he became Don Julio, with Lemoni alpaca too. Quite a colorful chacter. How is it that Zelenskys wife’s “boob job” get’s into the conversation..???? Just curious… Are brave leaders wive’s expected to have big boobs…????
I wondered what happened to Don Bacon.
He’ has commented on some other articles recently. Pretty good comments in my opinion.
whatever Don Bacon might think or say, he should not be confused with the Don Julio guy.
hey Don Bacon guy = i probably got your back! unless you prove to be some kind of idiot, upon which i will throw you under a bus.
I think there is a congressman from Nebraska named Don Bacon. I wonder if it is the same guy.
Lemony is a woman.
Don Bacon most used pseudonym, when hieis not a kangaroo or lama..
Don Julio and Don Bacon are two different people. Same with Lemony Alpaca and Don Julio.
I’ve seen Don Bacon comment over at Moon of Alabama and The Saker when it was still going. I thought he made some pretty decent comments.
They had to know this would occur and factored it into their planning.
Sure the stuff works great in totally impoverished areas with sand and caves but this isn’t Afghanistan, is it?
No longer do we have behind the lines spotters like my neighbor did in the Korean war (only survived a capture and torture because the war ended and he did not become like everyone before him), we do it electronically and we all know how touchy that stuff is and is screwed up by the stupidist stuff.
They likely just collected all the garage openers and forced them on then added a bunch of cheap led bulbs to the mix.
Screws my TV up when I use my antenna…
I wonder about the percentage to this occurs and just where those unguided things explode?
“No longer do we have behind the lines spotters like my neighbor did in the Korean war”
Well, we did at least as late as the post-Desert-Storm era. Did I miss something and we did away with that?
I’m pretty sure they aren’t being sent behind lines one-by-one to die like the crazy neighbor was. Every few weeks to a few months a new spotter was sent in and they were let known how the prior one died by the ones who killed them.
It’s more of the way the spotters are being used nowadays one might say.
Clearly, the American taxpayers should buy more bombs to give to the 404’s. As this is a capitalist enterprise, though, I have to wonder what return of investment we’re getting for all this stuff we’re giving to Kiev. The US has never done anything without looking for something in return, and I doubt our treasure going to Country 404 is any different.
This is the proving grounds for American military hardware. Finding the flaws in their capability will bring new, upgraded, and more lethal weapons to bear on the Ukraine battlefield. All in preparation for the big one. All the while threatening China with sanctions if they provide the Russians with weapons. This don’t pass the smell test does it?
How do you figure that? We don’t have the industrial capacity to replenish what we’ve delivered, averaging at double-digit months, must less the R&D to retrofit existing specs.
And yet “we” (if by “we” you mean the US) have several multiples of the industrial capacity of Russia. So who’s going to run out of stuff first?
That’s the narrative but a quite different picture is painted by the censored – Doug MacGregor, Ray McGovern, Larry Johnson, Andrei Martyanov and Scott Ritter.
Even logically if we have multiples of Russia’s industrial capacity why is Ukraine constantly running out of ammunition and weapons? Why are Abrams tanks not to be delivered until next year?
“Even logically if we have multiples of Russia’s industrial capacity why is Ukraine constantly running out of ammunition and weapons?”
For the last 80 years, the US military-industrial complex has constantly and incessantly whined that we’re running out of ammunition and weapons. Look up the “missile gap” and the “bomber gap” for example of “we’re not making enough stuff! We need to be making more stuff!”
And throughout that 80 years, the single word most descriptive of the state of US weapons and munitions stocks has been the word “glut.”
In 1991, I saw the aftermath (after the event knocked my living quarters down on top of me) of 11,000 tons of ordnance being blown up in one single disposal explosion rather than bother shipping it back to the US from Saudi Arabia. When my platoon went to the ammo supply point with that ordnance to ask for some fun stuff, they gave us 400 LAAWs and 10,000 rounds of small arms ammo on the condition that we not bring any of it back.
US manufacturing has been on a constant and unrelenting war footing since 1941. The MIC whining that Ukraine is running out of stuff is not the same thing as Ukraine actually running out of stuff.
You may well be right, I don’t have the relevant expertise to rebut thou I find it surprising the US was in a WW2 war footing the years following the end of Vietnam, but that’s roughly observational not analytical. Rather than the MIC as mentioned it is MacGregor and Ritter, specifically, having been consistent about the impact of the Ukraine war on “stock” and current industrial capacity, clearly you hold a different opinion. For my part I acknowledge a long standing bias in terms of US war veracity. It may be age and a memory gap but I can’t remember a post-ww2 war the government didn’t lie either to get us in or keep us in.
Thomas, none of it matters if we go all nuclear 🙁
Precisely. That’s why using nukes is not a military action. War is politics by other means. Species death is not politics. It’s post-politics.
It’s the data from their effectiveness against Russian counter measures that’s important here.
“Defense Official Confirms Leak: American Smart Bombs Are Failing in Ukraine Ukrainian
forces’ failure to correctly equip smart bombs and Russian jamming GPS
signals are causing American-made weapons to miss their targets.”
First, Ukraine needs aircraft to launch smart bombs and their air force is virtually non-existent.
Secondly, Russia is not a third world tribal society without resources. American has been lulled into a sense of impunity by playing wack-a-mole with drones over the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa.
Not only can Russia jam GPS and other electronic signals; they have anti-satellite capability if they wanted to destroy any spy satellite.
NATO has picked a fight with a Russian Honey Badger and the Honey Badger Don’t Care!
Mark Felton Productions.
Remember what they said, all that was written, especially the London Mainstream Media, for if a fraction of it was true, Russia would have by now collapsed.
The Real War has started, the battlefield is littered with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and the Western Media cut their coverage. Remember this – The Russian Armed Forces will take Kyiv 2023. And so . . .
Only when the last American artillery shell has been fired in The Ukraine, only when the last Ukrainian soldier has been killed in The Ukraine and only when the last of Ukrainian state territory has been irretrievably lost from The Ukraine will Washington finally realize that God Favours Russia.
Narrative Collapse – – – One Great Game Too Many . . .
https://les7eb.substack.com/p/washingtons-war-ix-one-great-game
Not sure it’s been a “Great Game,” from a Polish Yacht & Gilligan’s crew Razing Nord Stream to a Peach-Fuzzed ANG Posting JCOS Eyes-Only to a Gamer Discord? They should have hired a decent script writer 🙂
“They should have hired a decent script write.”
Has been noted before, that they are less experienced in the Deceptive Arts and take some ideas from television dramas.