Air Force Buys Long-Range Bomb Upgrade for $75 Million

The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a $75 million contract to produce the GBU-75 JDAM Long Range, a modified version of the Joint Direct Attack Munition that can strike targets over 300 miles away.

This new variant adds a wing kit and a compact turbojet engine to the existing JDAM guidance tail kit, giving it a range of more than 300 nautical miles. For comparison, the standard GBU-38 JDAM has a range of around 15 nautical miles, while the extended-range JDAM-ER tops out at about 45.

The development of the JDAM-LR was a joint effort between the Air Force and Navy, with Boeing working on the production contract. The program aims to provide the military with a low-cost, long-range precision-strike capability that can be used in various scenarios.

According to Bob Ciesla, Vice President of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, 'This first production contract is a major milestone for the JDAM LR program, demonstrating our ability to deliver long-range precision-strike capability at a significantly lower cost.'