The United States is sending a new batch of military aid worth $375 million to Ukraine, which includes a long-range weapon known as the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). While the Biden administration highlighted the JSOW as a key part of this package, there’s more to the story than just providing Ukraine with new firepower. The Pentagon has a hidden reason for sending these weapons to Ukraine—offloading them will save the U.S. about $20 million per year in maintenance costs.
What Is the JSOW?
First introduced in 1999, the JSOW is an air-launched glide bomb that can be dropped from planes like fighter jets. There are several versions of this bomb, with each one designed for different uses. The earliest model, the AGM-154A, carries 145 small explosives called submunitions, which act like cluster bombs. These bombs break apart and spread smaller explosives over a wide area.
However, cluster bombs are controversial because they can pose a serious risk to civilians. Because of this, the Pentagon developed other versions of the JSOW, including the AGM-154B and AGM-154C, which come with different explosives, and even a network-enabled version (AGM-154C-1) that can target both land and moving targets like ships.
Why Is the U.S. Sending Old Weapons?
The specific JSOW model that Ukraine is getting is the AGM-154A, the oldest version, with a range of up to 80 miles when launched from a high altitude. While this will help Ukraine extend the reach of its F-16 fighter jets, there’s another key reason the U.S. is sending these bombs—it helps the Pentagon reduce costs.
Most of these bombs in the U.S. stockpile are nearing the end of their 20-year lifespan. According to a Pentagon report, the U.S. stopped buying new JSOW bombs back in 2015. This means the ones still in storage will soon be outdated, and keeping them functional costs the military millions of dollars every year.
For the 2,500 units of the AGM-154A still in stock, the Pentagon has to spend around $20 million annually just to maintain them. By sending these aging weapons to Ukraine, the U.S. essentially gets rid of something they no longer need and saves a ton of money in the process.
A Strategic Move
By offloading these weapons to Ukraine, the U.S. is doing more than just assisting an ally in need. It’s also benefiting financially by avoiding the high cost of maintaining old equipment. This strategy helps the Pentagon free up resources and focus on newer technologies, all while presenting the aid as a boost to Ukraine’s military capabilities.
The JSOW package may seem like a generous military gift, but it’s also a clever move by the U.S. to get rid of weapons that are about to become obsolete. The bombs that once cost the military millions to maintain will now be put to use on the battlefield, and in the process, the Pentagon will save a hefty $20 million each year.
It’s a win-win situation: Ukraine gets advanced weapons to strengthen its long-range strike capabilities, and the U.S. gets to reduce its defense budget by clearing out old stockpiles.
