The US Navy has successfully flight tested its Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM-LR) kit that turns an ordinary iron dumb bomb into an affordable carrier-based jet-propelled cruise missile with a range of over 200 nm (29 miles, 370 km).
The JDAM concept dates back to the 1991 Gulf War when General Merrill A. McPeak, US Air Force Chief of Staff, was less than satisfied with the performance of the Air Force's precision weaponry and wanted an "adverse weather precision-guided munition." Within a year, this evolved into the JDAM program, which was based on a cost-cutting innovation: developing a strap-on kit that would turn standard Mark 80 bombs into precision missiles.
It was a brilliant idea that ended up saving a lot of money by using existing bomb stockpiles. A Mark 80 series bomb costs somewhere between US$3,000 and $16,000, depending on weight. By strapping on a basic JDAM kit that includes GPS/INS guidance system and steerable fins, a dumb bomb can be turned into a gliding missile that has a range of up to 15 nm (17 miles, 28 km) and an accuracy of within 42 ft (13 m) of a target, for a total cost of around $34,000, including the bomb.
Over the last 35 years, Boeing, which is the prime contractor for the JDAM kits has come up with improved variants, including laser-guided kits, an Extended Range version with high-lift wings that allows the bomb to be dropped 39 nm (44 miles, 39 km) from the target – longer if the bomb is dropped at supersonic speeds from high altitude.
According to Boeing, the JDAM-LR that was tested in April 2026 goes one better by incorporating a TDI-J85 turbojet engine into the kit. This gives the weapon an operational range in excess of 300 nm (344 miles, 555 km) when strapped to a 500-lb bomb or over 700 nm (805 miles, 1,296 km) when equipped with an auxiliary fuel tank instead of a warhead to turn it into a decoy.
In addition to extended range, the engine supplies power to a 1.5 kW generator to support advanced seekers, data links, and mission avionics. Like the previous JDAM kits, it's compatible with all JDAM-cleared aircraft, including 4th-Generation fighters, and uses the same interfaces and software.
However, the JDAM-LR is, like all premium models, a bit more expensive, at a total system cost of over $200,000 per unit, which is still a bargain compared to an AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), which will set you back $1,000,000 a shot.
The most recent pair of tests included demonstrations of safe weapon separation, the ability to interface with the aircraft systems, and controlled powered free-flight and navigation over 200 nm (229 miles, 370 km).
"As Naval Air Forces in theater continue to rely heavily on JDAM systems, the program recognizes a critical need to provide the fleet with greater standoff range," said Captain Sarah Abbott, Precision Strike Weapons (PMA-201) program manager. "This new capability allows pilots to engage targets from significantly safer distances, maintaining a tactical advantage in contested environments."
Source: US Air Force
