Jet-Powered JDAM Production Is A Go For The U.S. Navy

Summary

Boeing has received an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) worth $75 million from the U.S. Air Force, acting as the joint-service JDAM program manager, to begin production of the JDAM-Long Range (JDAM-LR), officially designated the GBU-75/B, for the U.S. Navy. The JDAM-LR functions as a compact cruise missile by combining a Payload Delivery Unit (PDU) containing guidance systems, pop-out wings, and a compact turbojet engine with a standard 500-pound-class bomb, offering a dramatically extended strike range of over 345 miles compared to the roughly 15-mile range of a standard unpowered JDAM. The weapon's modular, kit-based design provides significant flexibility in configuration, including potential use with anti-ship mines and specialized low-collateral-damage warheads, while its GPS-assisted inertial navigation system currently limits targeting to static coordinates, though Boeing has explored multi-mode guidance options for engaging moving targets. For the Navy, the JDAM-LR represents a cost-effective solution to expanding standoff strike capabilities for carrier air wings, particularly following the cancellation of a powered JSOW variant and the scaling back of land-attack plans for the expensive AGM-158C LRASM, which carries a unit cost of approximately $3 million. Boeing has invested nearly $100 million of its own funds into the program, which has been in development since at least the late 2010s, with successful test launches from F/A-18E/F Super Hornets confirmed in April 2025.