MINDEF to buy JDAM kits for 1000 ‘smart’ bombs. To Protect FTrash?

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MINDEF to buy JDAM kits for 1000 ‘smart’ bombs

July 9th, 2014 | Author: Editorial

JDAM

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) issued a press statement on Monday (7 Jul) [Link], announcing that it has notified the US Congress last week of plans to sell the government of Singapore an arms package consisting of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, or JDAMs, manufactured by Boeing, plus associated equipment, parts, training, and logistical support.

The JDAM kits will enable conventional ‘dumb’ bombs to be converted into laser-guided precision ‘smart’ bombs. Nearly 1,000 of such JDAM kits have been ordered by MINDEF.

DSCA is an agency under the US Department of Defense (DoD). It promotes military-to-military contacts and provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense technologies, training and services to US allies. It is founded on a tradition of cooperation between the United States and other sovereign nations with similar values and interests in order to meet common defense goals.

Specifically, the weapons that MINDEF has requested to buy include:

• 913 KMU-556B/B JDAM kits, which are used to convert conventional Mk-84 2000-lb “dumb” bombs into guidable “smart” bombs
• 100 FMU-152A/B fuzes, which can be set to explode the bombs on impact, at a set proximity to target, or be “delayed” to explode after impact.
• 300 DSU-40 Precision Laser Guidance Sets, used to guide the smart bombs to their targets.

Also included are containers, munition trailers, support equipment, spare and repair parts, test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, US Government and contractor engineering and technical support, and other related elements of logistics support. The total estimated cost is US$63 million.

DSCA said that Singapore is requesting these guidance sets, services and equipment to sustain its “air-to-ground weapons stockpiles and to accommodate training expenditures”.
It added, “This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy objectives and strategic national security objectives of the United States by supporting Singapore as a key regional partner in counter-terrorism and an important force for political stability and economic progress in South East Asia.”

“This sale will enable the RSAF to sustain mission-ready status to ensure it can contribute to coalition operations and meet its national defense requirements. Singapore maintains a large CONUS F-15SG training presence at Mountain Home AFB. A portion of these munitions are anticipated for use at this CONUS training facility, and will enable RSAF pilots to practice using GPS-guided munitions that will further refine their combat capability. Singapore should have no difficulty absorbing these additional munitions into its armed forces,” DSCA said.

DSCA also assured the US Congress that this sale of military equipment “will not alter the basic military balance in the region”.

“This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded,” DSCA clarified.
The final sale is subjected to the approval of US Congress.

All questions regarding this proposed US military equipment sale should be directed to the State Department’s Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov, DSCA said.


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