Boeing Exploring New Variants Of Joint Direct Attack Munition
By Marc Selinger
January 28, 2004
The Boeing Co. is exploring new versions of its Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), including a variant that would go after laser-designated targets, company representatives said Jan. 27.
While existing JDAMs use satellite-guided navigation to steer themselves toward target coordinates, Boeing has been studying the possibility of modifying the bomb tail kits so they could also strike targets chosen by air- or ground-based lasers, said David Martin, who manages Boeing's international and derivative work on JDAM. Boeing has been using company money to conduct modeling and simulation of the laser variant and hopes to convince the U.S. military to launch a program this year.
Company representatives said giving JDAM a laser capability would provide an extra tool for air forces without causing the munition's cost to skyrocket.
"We see a very strong market" for the laser variant, Martin said.
Boeing also is reviving the idea of a JDAM equipped with wings to provide extended range (JDAM-ER). In May, Boeing and the Australian government plan to demonstrate such a variant with wings made by Australia's Hawker deHavilland. The JDAM-ER is designed to have a range of about 50 nautical miles, more than three times that of a regular JDAM, Martin said. The increased reach would give pilots more target options and allow them to strike targets from safer distances.
In 2000, Boeing demonstrated a JDAM-ER variant for the U.S. government using wings made by MBDA. Although the American military has made no firm commitment to an extended range version, Martin said he remains hopeful that it will eventually do so.
While Martin believes the JDAM-ER technology would be best suited for the 500-pound version of JDAM, he said the laser version could be adapted to all three weight-classes: 500, 1,000 and 2,000 pounds.
Besides the U.S. Air Force and Navy, about 20 countries have already bought existing versions of JDAMs or are considering doing so. The U.S. Defense Department announced late Jan. 26 that Boeing is being awarded a $215 million contract from the Air Force to integrate JDAMs on military aircraft of other nations.
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