DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. The DID FOCUS Article looks at the transformational history of the JDAM GPS-guided bomb program, the ongoing efforts to bring its capabilities up to the level of weapons like Israel’s Spice and Raytheon’s Enhanced Paveway, and the contracts issued under the JDAM program and its derivatives.

Precision bombing has been a significant military goal since the invention of the Norden bomb sight in the 1920s, but its application remained elusive. Over 30 years later, in Vietnam, the destruction of a single target could require 300 bombs, which meant sending an appropriate number of fighters or bombers into harm’s way to deliver them. Even the 1991 Desert Storm war with Iraq featured unguided munitions for the most part; the US Air Force did use some laser and TV-guided weapons like Paveway bombs and Maverick missiles, but they were very expensive and only effective in good weather. If precision bombing was finally to become a reality throughout the Air Force, a new approach would be needed.

The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) became that alternative, an engine of military transformation that was also a model of procurement transformation. The latest news involves FY 2009-2010 budget updates, plus a $72 million contract for 2,925 JDAM kits…

• JDAM: A History of Transformation (i.e. Continue reading…)
• JDAM: Program & Variants [updated]
• JDAM: Contracts and Key Events, 1996 – Present [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources

JDAM: A History of Transformation

A group researchers and engineers at Eglin AFB had already been looking at a new way to guide a bomb to its target since the 1980s. This group came up with the idea of using inertial navigation systems (INS), which measure acceleration to compute distance and direction traveled from a known point, in order to guide a device to another pre-plotted point.

After the USAF’s review of the 1991 Desert Storm conflict and its subsequent findings, the technology was ready to be taken off the shelf. The US had also built a Global Positioning System with capabilities reserved only for military users, capable of accuracy to within about 3 feet no matter what the weather was like. This wasn’t quite as accurate as laser-guided weapons, and couldn’t hit moving targets, but the INS/GPS combination held obvious promise as a mutual set of correctives that would create an even more accurate and reliable all-weather weapon. Initial development work showed promise.

Which only solved part of the problem. Laser and TV guided precision weapons were expensive. JDAM already had promise as one thing they weren’t: an all-weather weapon. To become more than a niche player, however, it would have to be something else its competition wasn’t: cheap.

Not to mention lucky. The stepped up urgency around the JDAM program coincided with some of the 1990s military acquisition reform initiatives that aimed to reduce the system’s immense bureaucratic weight. JDAM was one of just 7 pilot programs given waivers that could sidestep a number of expensive and time-consuming regulations. The program took full and proper advantage. Roy Handsel, a project manager with the JDAM Squadron:

“Previously, companies dealing with the government were required to provide extensive cost data to justify prices. This complicated and labor intensive information gathering put many small manufacturing shops out of the running for government contracts. But with waivers … small businesses across America could be subcontracted … to produce the subassemblies that make up a JDAM.”

By the time they were done, JDAM was a tail kit that could be attached to existing Mk 80 family ‘dumb’ bombs, turning them into affordable precision weapons with a range of up to 15 miles.

The JDAM program was accelerated in 1995; low-rate initial production was accelerated 9 months, to the latter half of FY 1997. All 22 weapons tested during this interval peformed successfully, including overall Circular Error Probable (CEP) of 10.3 meters, significantly better than the 13 meter requirement. JDAM was certified as operational capable on the B-2 in July 1997. Limited Initial Operational Capability was achieved on the B-52 in December 1998.

Then came Kosovo, aka. Operation Allied Force in 1999. JDAMs were used from B-2 bombers at rate that nearly equaled manufacturing capacity. Approximately 650 JDAMs with approximately 1.4 million pounds of high explosive were dropped. The Joint Chiefs of Staff directed rapid acceleration of production, and soon F/A-18 Hornets were also formally authorized as JDAM-capable, with other aircraft certifications following as the program ramped up. The DoD eventually picked McDonnell Douglas to develop 87,000 of these tail kits over the program’s lifetime for the USAF and Navy – at just $18,000 apiece, instead of the original $40,000 estimate.

Two years later, as the ruins of the World Trade Center were still smoking, the USAF was ready.

By mid-December 2001, the first 9 weeks of intense air strikes over Afghanistan had consumed about half of the 10,000 or so JDAM kits in inventory. Among the 18,000 munitions expended, half were precision-guided. Fully half of those were JDAMs, and they were put to very creative uses by Special Forces teams on the ground. From Bob Woodward’s book “Bush At War”:

“The Northern Alliance was trying to induce defections from the Taliban itself, but the CIA could come in and offer cash. The agency’s hand would often be hidden as the negotiations began—$10,000 for this sub-commander and his dozens of fighters, $50,000 for this bigger commander and his hundreds of fighters. In one case, $50,000 was offered to a commander to defect. Let me think about it, the commander said. So the Special Forces A-team directed a J-DAM precision bomb right outside the commander’s headquarters. The next day, they called the commander back. How about $40,000? He accepted.”

JDAM: Program & Variants

The JDAM kits’ price has risen slightly with inflation et. al. to about $30,000 each, but their bargain basement price and proven performance have made JDAM a standout on both the battlefield and the procurement field. Several hundred thousand kits have been bought by the USA and allied countries, and a number of other countries have adapted the concept on their own. The US Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet notes that:

“JDAM is currently compatible with B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, F-15E, F-14A/B/D (now retired from service), F/A-18E/F, F-16C/D, F/A-22 and F/A-18C/D aircraft. Follow-on integration efforts are currently underway or planned to evaluate compatibility with the A-10 [done, see DID coverage], F-117, AV-8B, S-3, Joint Strike Fighter, and unmanned aerial vehicles.”

As of early 2002, the Boeing production facility in St. Charles, MO was working 3 shifts around the clock; Boeing ramped up deliveries, from 750 a month during winter 2001 to 2,000 per month in October 2002, and 2,800 per month by August 2003. Production was expected to increase to 5,000 per month with the addition of a new assembly line, and the need to replenish stocks drawn down by war on the Afghan and Iraqi fronts kept demand high. Subsequent years’ budgets and requests have dropped off slightly as US stocks rose back to acceptable levels, but allied requests have filled that gap and more. US budgetary requests have included:

• FY 2005: $665.5M for 29,756 ($514.4M/22,826 USAF, $151.1M/6,930 Navy, no RDT&E)
• FY 2006: $306.1M for 11,605 ($224.6M/8,205 USAF, $86.6M/3,324 Navy, no RDT&E)
• FY 2007: $280.7M for 10,585 ($194.1M/7,261 USAF, $84.7M/1.145 Navy, $15.4M RDT&E USAF)
• FY 2008: $150.4M for 4,962 ($112.8M/3,817 USAF, $38.4M/ 1,357 Navy, no RDT&E)
• FY 2009: $200.1M for 7,218 ($190.8M/7,049 USAF, $9.3M/ 169 Navy, no RDT&E)
• FY 2010 Request: $203.0M for 7,452 ($201.0M/7,452 USAF, $2.0M/ 0 Navy, no RDT&E) Includes $98.0M for 3,860 to be bought with wartime supplemental funding.

Completed JDAM weapons have designations that primarily reflect the size of the base bomb. GBU-38 weapons are based on 500 pound bombs; GBU-32s are 1,000 pound bombs, GBU-35s are 1,000 pound bombs with “bunker buster” warheads designed to penetrate hardened targets, and GBU-31s are 2,000 pound bombs. The 2,000 pound bunker buster variants are the GBU-31v3/B and GBU-31v4/B.

Other American weapons like the AGM-154 JSOW long-range glide bomb/cruise missile have incorporated aspects of JDAM technology, and the JDAM concept – whether implemented via Navstar GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, or other system, can be expected to be a standard feature of future weapons around the world.

As JDAM’s popularity spreads, new variants are being introduced. Boeing is teamed with Australian firms to produce a 500 pound JDAM-ER (extended range) with pop-out wings. Boeing subsidiary Hawker de Havilland developed the wing kits, which reportedly increase the 500 pound bomb’s range from 15 to 55 nautical miles. A partnership with South Korea’s TAK aims to create a 2,000 pound JDAM-ER kit. Meanwhile, European firm MBDA is already marketing its own “Diamondback” kit as a potential add-on; Diamondback equips the Small Diameter Bomb, and was originally tested in 2000 with early JDAM-ER versions.

The 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb program is a direct outgrowth of JDAM technology. It incorporates a more streamlined bomb shape and pop-out wings. These modifications give it a longer glide range, as well as performance against hardened targets equivalent to a 2,000 pound conventional bomb. The difference is an aircraft that can carry 8 GBU-39s in place of a single 2,000 pound bomb, dramatically expanding its capabilities.

In an odd turn of fate, JDAM’s popularity is even causing it to lose its “alternative” status and emulate the very laser-guided weapons it was intended to supplant. The LJDAM (Laser JDAM) kit adds a laser guidance module to the standard JDAM INS/GPS kit. The combination improves accuracy; it also allows the weapon to target moving objects through a combination of GPS/INS to get the weapon into the vicinity, and laser guidance for the final strike. This combination creates a more versatile and standardized weapon set, and gives aircraft on station an option that lets them hit transient “pop up” targets of opportunity without having to be within laser sighting range. In exchange, of course, LJDAM costs more. At present, it is only available as the 500 pound GBU-54.

LJDAM will compete with a growing roster. The Navy’s DMLGB program gave Lockheed Martin a GPS/laser combination for its Paveway kits, and Raytheon has already produced Enhanced Paveway II/IIIs and Paveway IV weapons. Israel, the first JDAM buyer outside the USA, has developed its Spice bomb along similar dual-guidance lines, but the weapon uses Imaging Infared (IIR) as the second guidance form, much like the American AGM-154C JSOW. Spice has a 60 km/ 36 mile range, but its comparative expense has restricted its popularity.

In addition to Boeing, the core JDAM production team includes:

• Enser and Eagle-Picher (battery)
• Honeywell Inc. (inertial measurement unit)
• Harris RF (GPS receiver, datalink modem)
• HR Textron (tail actuator subsystem)
• Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems (mission computer)
• Lockley (tail fairing)
• Rockwell Collins (GPS receiver)
• Stremel (strakes and cable cover)

The actual bombs (General Dynamics for US-manufactured Mk80 family weapons) and Joint Programmable Fuze System (Kaman Drayson, ATK – has a variable delay setting that may be programmed manually or from the cockpit) are purchased separately by the US government. Foreign partners include:

• Boeing subsidiary Hawker de Havilland, Australia (500 lb. JDAM-ER wing kits),
• TAK, South Korea (2,000 lb. JDAM-ER kit)
• MBDA, Europe (“Diamondback” wing kit)

JDAM: Contracts and Key Events

Unless otherwise specified, contracts are awarded by The Headquarters 308th Armament Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. Unless otherwise specified, contracts are issued to Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St Louis, MO.

Oct 28/09: A $72 million contract for Lot XIV JDAM production: 2,925 JDAM Guided Vehicle kits that are attached to the tails of ordinary 500 – 2000 pound bombs, giving them inertial navigation system and GPS-based guidance (FA8681-10-C-0072).

Oct 8/09: Boeing announces Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracts to provide Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) to 2 unnamed international customers, as part of Aug 17/09’s $98 million contract. The weapons are scheduled for delivery in 2010. Dan Jaspering, Boeing director of Direct Attack Programs, adds that “There are more than 20 countries that have JDAM, and we expect many of them will adopt Laser JDAM within the next few years.”

Other recent developments include a recent Block 08 update to the weapon system’s software, to improve Laser JDAM’s effectiveness against targets that are turning, accelerating or decelerating. Boeing has completed two successful maneuvering target missions with the Block 08 software, which is expected to be fielded in 2010.

Aug 17/09: A $98 million cost plus fixed-fee contract to provide production of the Laser JDAM, and integration onto “various Foreign Military Sales aircraft platforms” throughout the life of the contract. At this time no funds have been obligated, which means funds will be spent as orders and tasks come in. The 680th ARSSG/PK at Eglin AFB, FL manages the contract (FA8681-09-D-0065).

Feb 27/09: GBU-31 ER. Boeing signs an agreement with Times Aerospace Korea, LLC (TAK) to jointly develop a wing assembly that will create an 2,000 pound JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) variant.

Under the teaming arrangement for this 40-month development program, Boeing and TAK will co-develop, test, and field a JDAM-ER wing kit to convert the 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAM into a JDAM-ER. Boeing will provide support to help TAK improve its aerospace capabilities, including preparations for production of the JDAM ER wing assembly. Once development and flight tests are successful, TAK would become Boeing’s primary supplier of wing assemblies for all 2,000 pound JDAM-ERs sold around the world.

Boeing’s release adds that as of March 31/09, “the baseline JDAM has been sold to the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, as well as to 22 international customers.”

Dec 12/08: The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli Air Force is considering JDAM-ER kits, one version of which is under development by Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force. Their 500 pound JDAM-ER collaboration is expected to enter Australian service in 2010.

Dec 5/08: A firm fixed price, $106.9 million contract for Lot XIII JDAM production: 4,372 Joint Direct Attack Munition Guided Vehicle kits, for delivery in 2010 and 2011. At this time, the entire amount has been committed (FA8681-09-C-0057). See also Boeing release.

This appears to be a higher number of JDAMs than the official FY 2009 budget request.

Nov 25/08: Boeing announces that its Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) successfully completed testing with HUG-upgraded Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18s in August 2008, exceeding the RAAF’s range and accuracy requirements. Work at the Woomera Test Facility in South Australia was led by the Australian DoD, with support from Boeing. In addition to the firm’s prime integrator role, Boeing subsidiary Hawker de Havilland is the developer of the 500-pound JDAM ER’s wing kits.

Boeing’s JDAM-ER program manager Kevin Holt says that he expects JDAM-ER to move from the flight demonstration phase into Low Rate Initial Production beginning in calendar year 2010.

Nov 14/08: The USAF announces that an upgraded USAF A-10C has dropped the GBU-54 LJDAM in a successful test. The next step is operational testing to develop tactics and techniques for employing the weapon. If those tests continue to go well, Eglin AFB’s test team may have their feedback as early as January. The goal is to have the LJDAM/A-10C combination deployed on the front lines by early 2009.

Nov 14/08: Boeing delivers the first production Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) guidance kits to the U.S. Navy (See May 18/07 entry). Additional flight tests and clearance activities on the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet are expected to begin later in 2008. Boeing release.

The USN also has the DMLGB program underway, in which Lockheed Martin is converting about 7,000 stockpiled laser-only Paveway guidance kits to dual laser/GPS-INS guidance.

Nov 7/08: NAVAIR delivers the first GBU-54 Laser JDAM to the fleet. NAVAIR.

Sept 17/08: Boeing delivers the 200,000th JDAM tailkit to the USAF, just 10 years after JDAM guidance tailkit deliveries to the United States and allied countries began.

Boeing’s release adds that it is currently under contract to build an additional 11,670 JDAM tailkits for the United States and its allies in the coming years, with additional quantities in the planning stages.

Sept 15/08: Airmen at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), LA, load a Boeing Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) onto a B-52H aircraft for a demonstration flight. It was the first time the LJDAM had been carried and delivered from a B-52H. Boeing photo release.

July 24/08: Boeing announces that it has signed a contract with Germany for 500 lb. Laser JDAM kits, plus integration support to add them to that country’s Tornado aircraft. This is the first international sale of the LJDAM weapon system. Oddly, it was completed as a mere commercial contract, rather than a foreign military sale of weapons; as such, there is no disclosure requirement regarding costs or numbers.

Delivery of the kits is expected to begin in mid-2009, and the unknown order includes options for unspecified additional kits in 2009.

June 20/08: South Korea is requesting additional air-air missiles and precision attack weapons for its F-15Ks: 280 JDAM tail kits, 2 load/build trainers; plus AIM-120-C7 AMRAAMs, AGM-54G Mavericks, Paveway II/IIIs, and chaff. Read “South Korea Buying Weapons for its new F-15Ks.”

May 30/08: An $8.6 million contract modification for 300 JDAM High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units, which are used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during testing. This procurement also includes 100 HCTM Adapter Kits in support of Test and Integration activities. At this time all funds have been obligated (FA8681-07-C-0002 P00004).

Jan 10/08: A firm-fixed price contract for $115.6 million for 4,907 JDAM Lot 12 Guided Vehicle kits for existing 500, 1000, 2000 pound bombs. At this time all funds have been obligated. The 678 ARSS/PK at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-08-C-0001).

Jan 3/08: The US DSCA announces the United Arab Emirates’ formal request for 200 GBU-31 JDAM tail kits, as part of a larger weapons request that also includes 224 of the Mk84 2,000 pound bombs they fit to. See full DID coverage.

Aug 3/07: The US DSCA announces a formal weapons request from Israel that includes 10,000 JDAM kits. See “Israel Looks to Replenish Bomb Stocks.”

May 29/07: Successful completion of developmental flight testing for the JDAM’s forthcoming Integrated GPS Anti-Jam System (IGAS) at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, CA. IGAS uses digital signal processing to significantly reduce the impact of GPS jamming.

During the program, testers released five weapons from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 under various mission and GPS jamming scenarios. All five weapons acquired and maintained their GPS coordinates while flying to their targets. Boeing will complete IGAS development in 2007, with deliveries planned to begin in 2008. Boeing release.

May 18/07: A $28.8 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide for Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) Precision Laser Guidance Set (PLGS), quantity of 600 (400 USAF, 200 USN) “In response to a compelling and urgent operational need…”

This effort also involves the management, engineering and logistics support necessary for production qualification and performance verification of the non-development PLGS. At this time, $2.8 million have been obligated. Work will be complete June 2009. The Headquarters Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-07-C-0209). Boeing June 9/07 release.

March 19/07: Flying at 20,000 feet over the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia, a RAAF F/A-18B released a pair of 500-pound Mk82 JDAM Extended Range (JDAM-ER) weapons and scored a direct hit on their respective targets. The JDAM-ER uses Australian-designed and built modular wing kit developed by Hawker de Havilland, based on technology licensed by Australia Defence Science & Technology Organization. The ER wing kit provides more than three times the range of a baseline JDAM (i.e. over 45 miles) and is designed to be installed in the field as an addition to existing JDAM weapons.

The AIR 5425 JDAM ER test program is a joint effort with the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation, Hawker de Havilland Aerospace Pty. Ltd., and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The test team conducted the technology demonstration under the Australian Capability Technology Demonstrator Program, managed by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), but the design will be exportable to Boeing’s 16 international JDAM customers, some of whom have shown interest in this variant. MBDA’s Diamond Back wing kit is also designed to extend the range of JDAM weapons, and is used on the 250 pound Small Diameter Bomb variant. Boeing release.

Feb 6/07: A $20.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for another 784 JDAM production lot 11 Guided Vehicle kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated; work will be complete March 2009 (FA8681-07-C-0002/P00001).

Nov 14/06: A $296 million firm-fixed-price with cost reimbursement contract for 12,889 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Lot 11 Guided Vehicle (GV) kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began July 2006, negotiations were complete November 2006, and work will be complete March 2009 (FA8681-07-C-0002).

Sept 8/06: An $8.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 287 JDAM High Data Rate Compact Telemetry Units (HCTMs). The JDAM HCTMs are flight test instrumentation hardware, which is used to gather real-time JDAM weapon data during testing. Work will be complete September 2008 (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00004).

June 30/06: A 500 pound Joint Direct Attack Munition with a laser guidance add-on (LJDAM) bomb is successfully dropped 4 miles away by a U.S. Air Force F-16 flying at 20,000 feet over Eglin AFB, Florida. It scores a direct hit on an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) moving at 25 mph. Boeing will complete its development of the 500-pound LJDAM in 2006. Initial production deliveries are planned to begin as early as 2007, giving it a weapon with capabilities similar to Israel’s existing Spice. A previous May 2005 test had also been successful. Boeing release.

June 30/06: A $28 million firm-fixed-price with a cost-reimbursement contract modification for an additional 1,288 lot 10 JDAM guided vehicle kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Negotiations were complete in June 2006, and work will be complete March 2008 (FA8681-06-C-0058/P00002).

June 28/06: Pakistan requests 500 JDAM kits as part of a proposed $5.1 billion deal for F-16 C/Ds (Block 50/52), F-16 fleet upgrades, and weapons. DID coverage.

June 21/06: Kaman Dayron in Orlando, FL receives a $6.7 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide 7 foreign military sales countries with the Joint Programmable Fuze (JPF) systems to meet their anticipated munitions requirements. The JPF is a state-of-the-art fuze system used with precision weapon systems such as the JDAM, and is equipped with variable delay settings that may be programmed manually or from the cockpit through its in-flight reprogrammability feature. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began September 2005, negotiations were complete June 2006, and work will be complete by November 2007. The Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (F08626-98-C-0006/P00067)

June 12/06: The F-22 Combined Test Force team of The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, and the US Air Force successfully tested the F-22’s precision strike capabilities at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The F-22 flew at a speed of Mach 1.5 at 50,000 feet, released a 1,000 pound JDAM from a range of 24 nautical miles to destroy a ground target.

Note the extended range. The drop tested the Raptor’s Launch Acceptability Region (LAR) supersonic algorithm, developed by a Boeing collaboration of F-22, Phantom Works and JDAM engineers. It defines the area in the sky from which the pilot can release a weapon to successfully attack the desired target, factoring in navigation, weather, target and weapon information. See Boeing release.

June 1/06: Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St Louis, MO received a $70 million cost-plus fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract. This indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity basic contract is for aircraft integration with the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon system. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to the maximum amount indicated above. Solicitations began January 2006, negotiations were complete in May 2006, and work will be complete April 2011. The Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract. (FA8681-06-D-0021).

As a reminder, the US Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet notes that: “JDAM is currently compatible with B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, F-15E, F-14A/B/D, F/A-18E/F, F-16C/D, F/A-22 and F/A-18C/D aircraft. Follow-on integration efforts are currently underway or planned to evaluate compatibility with the A-10, F-117, AV-8B, S-3, Joint Strike Fighter, and unmanned aerial vehicles.”

April 18/06: Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Demonstrates Network Capability in Multiple JDAM Drop. Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully demonstrated the capability of an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to provide targeting coordinates to other aircraft using the Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system.

During the test at the Naval Air Weapons Center at China Lake, Calif., an AESA-equipped F/A-18F created a long-range, high resolution synthetic aperture radar map and designated 4 closely-spaced stationary targets. The aircraft then data-linked 2 target designations to non-AESA equipped Super Hornets, which successfully delivered 4 JDAMs (2,000 lb.) “within lethal distance.” The targeting Super Hornet then used the AESA to provide highly detailed bomb damage assessments to confirm the hits. Boeing release.

March 3/06: A $240.6 million firm fixed price with cost reimbursement type for alternate disputes resolution contract for 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Lot 10 Guided Vehicle (GV) kits. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began in November 2005, negotiations were complete in March 2006, and work will be complete March 2008. The Headquarters Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-06-C-0058). DID coverage.

Feb 20/06: Boeing reaches an agreement with Norway to provide the JDAM system to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) F-16s. The contract includes JDAM guidance kits, F-16 weapon system integration and operational support. Norway is the fifth member of the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) to select JDAM, and the 14th international customer. Boeing has produced more than 140,000 JDAM guidance kits from 1998 to February 2006 for the USA and 14 international customers. Boeing release.

Feb 13/06: A $45 million time and material, firm-fixed-price and cost-plus fixed-fee contract for technical support for the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon system until the end of 2010. This includes non-warranty inductions and repair, annual software updates, mission planning support and studies/analysis. The Air Force can issue delivery orders totaling up to the maximum amount indicated above, but doesn’t have to spend the full amount. Solicitations began October 2005, negotiations were complete December 2005, and work will be complete by December 2010. The Headquarters Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8681-05-D-0277)

Nov 1/05: Harris Corporation, best known for its success in the tactical radio market, announced that it has been awarded an $18.2 million follow-on contract by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to provide Anti-Jam Global Positioning System (AJ GPS) modules for Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) program that turns conventional bombs into smart bombs.

he initial development contract was valued at approximately $3.9 million, bringing the total value of the program for Harris to more than $21 million since 2003. Full production and future options could increase the program’s value for Harris to more than $50 million by 2008. Harris release | DID coverage.

Oct 25/05: Greece requests 6 JDAMs as part of its F-16 C/D (Block 50/52) sale and weapons package. DID coverage.

Oct 19/05: Australia selects Boeing to provide the JDAM for the AIR 5409 Bomb Improvement Program. The contract covers Australia’s upgraded F/A-18A aircraft, and includes JDAM guidance kits, F/A-18 weapon system integration, and operational support. Numbers and figures were not disclosed. Boeing release.

Sept 20/05: A low-cost, UHF network-capable weapon data link from Harris Corporation provided target updates in the successful demonstration of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s ability to engage moving land targets with Boeing’s JDAM at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California. The inert weapon was delivered within two meters of the moving target, a radio-controlled panel-side truck. The two-way link also demonstrated the ability of the weapon data link to transmit real-time weapon status back to the host F/A-18 aircraft during the JDAM’s free fall. Harris’ Falcon II radio from its RF Communications Division and Improved Data Modem technology from Innovative Concepts, Inc. were used to create the two ends of the data linkage from aircraft to JDAM. Harris release.

Aug 23/05: Singapore notifies the USA that it wants 150 JDAM kits as part of a $741 million complementary weapons order to go with its F-15SG Strike Eagles. The F-15SG order is finalized with a contract on Dec 13, 2006, clearing the way for the complementary weapon purchases. DID coverage.

Dec 2/04: Boeing delivers of the 100,000th JDAM Tail Kit. The original production estimate had been 87,000 JDAMs for the entire program.

March 01/04: Boeing Integrated Defense Systems announces 2 key JDAM contracts worth $857 million total.

The first contract, worth $642 million, is for more than 32,000 JDAM Lot 8 guidance kits for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The kits will convert existing 500, 1000 and 2000-pound unguided free-fall bombs into cost-effective and capable air-to-surface “smart” weapons. The JDAM kits will be delivered by February 2006.

The second contract, worth $215 million, is a 5-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for future integration of JDAM (and JDAM derivative weapons) on various foreign military sales aircraft. The first order issued on the contract was valued at $1 million. At rthe time, Boeing had 7 active international customers; integration is scheduled for completion by December 2008. Boeing release.

Oct 21/03: Boeing announces a $121 million undefinitized contract for system development and demonstration of the Hornet Autonomous Real-time Targeting (HART) system. HART adds a precision guidance capability to Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that enables aircrews to designate targets and deploy JDAM based on aircraft sensors, rather than depending on pre-planned coordinates or uploads. The Navy plans to deploy HART initially on JDAMs carried aboard the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Using the aircraft’s AN/APG-79 AESA radar system, a Super Hornet aircrew can acquire and designate a target and transfer a reference image of the target to the JDAM. After release, the weapon compares the reference image to that in its sensor’s field of view, guiding it to the point designated in the target scene. The HART guidance kit includes an infrared sensor, a processor, and image-matching software.

Plans call for a low rate initial production decision on HART in late 2006, with initial operational capability expected in December 2007. Boeing would expect to produce approximately 600 units during Long Range Initial Production (LRIP) 1. Follow on production contracts would bring the total kits produced to 6000 through 2011. Boeing release.

Sept 13/02: Boeing announces a $378 million contract for an additional 18,840 JDAM kits by the JDAM Joint Program Office. The new contract is for a mix of GBU-31 (2,000 lb. warhead) kits and GBU-32 (1,000 lb. warhead) kits for both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to be delivered between October 2002 and March 2004.

The new contract will require Boeing to deliver kits to both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy at a production rate of 2,800 kits per month by August 2003. In response, Boeing is expanding its production facility in St. Charles, MO. Boeing release.

July 18/01: Boeing Company and Alenia Marconi Systems announce a teaming agreement under which Alenia will market JDAM throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. It may also assemble JDAMs and derivative weapons that its customers purchase commercially, rather than through the U.S. foreign military sales program. Alenia eventually became MBDA as a result of Europe’s government-driven mergers. Boeing release.

April 04/01: Boeing announces a $235 million contract for the production of 11,054 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. Boeing will deliver 10,382 JDAM kits to the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Navy will receive 672 kits and has an option for an additional 1,150. The contract includes a $25 million option for an additional 1,150 kits. The U.S. Air Force Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL is the contracting agency.

The award follows the Milestone III decision by the Defense Acquisition Board earlier in April 2001, allowing the program to enter into full-rate production.

Sept 29/2000: Boeing announces a $45 million award to engineer, manufacture and develop (EMD) a version of the JDAM for 500 pound Mk80 bombs. The weapon will be integrated in to the F-16, F/A-18, and B-2 bombers during the EMD period. Work is scheduled to be completed by the Boeing weapons facility in St. Charles, MO by December 2002.

June 1/2000: First International JDAM Sale: Boeing to Integrate Weapon on Israeli F-16 Aircraft. Boeing release.

April 28/2000: McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Berkeley, MO received a $5.65 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for incorporation of Pin-Lock Tail Actuator System technology into the production effort for 8,163 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits. The Pin-Lock Tail Actuator System provides a more durable and accurate method of maneuvering the tail fins of the JDAM than the existing Friction Brake technology. Contract completion date was 31 March 2001.

Feb 24/2000: A $162 million award for production of 7,247 JDAMs for the USAF, and 916 for the U.S. Navy. LRIP began in the spring of 1997; this is the 4th lot of low-rate initial production JDAM kits, and a decision on full-rate production is expected later in 2000. To this point, Boeing has received orders for approximately 16,000 kits of the 87,000 that the U.S. government has plans to procure.

Production of Lot 4 will begin in March 2001, and ramp up to a rate of 700 kits per month in the Boeing weapons facility in St. Charles, MO. Production is scheduled to run through February 2002. Boeing release.

April 2/99: A $50,521,788 face value increase to a firm-fixed-price contract to provide for low rate initial production of 2,527 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits. The work was complete by January 2001.

June 24/98: Boeing Delivers First JDAM.

April 30/97: USAF announced the decision to initiate low-rate initial production (LRIP) of JDAM, with the first production lot of 937 JDAM kits. MDC release.

Oct 24/96: JDAM Guided Flight Tests Begin.

Additional Readings & Sources

• Boeing – Joint Direct Attack Munition

• GlobalSecurity.org – Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). See also sub-pages, especially the JDAM program history.

• US Air force Association (September 2006) – The JDAM Revolution

• US Air Force Link (March 17/06) – JDAM continues to be warfighter’s weapon of choice

• US Air Force Association (November 2003) – Precision: The Next Generation

• NASA Tech Briefs (March 2001) – Diamond back boosts range. Refers to MBDA’s Diamond Back wing kit.

• Air & Space Power Journal, Chronicles Online Supplement (July 26/00) – Expanding the Envelope – Stealth and Other Strike Roles. Discusses concepts of operations for the combination of JDAM-family bombs and stealthy aircraft like the B-2, F-22, and F-35.