Boeing Starts Production of BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit

Boeing has begun production of the BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit for the US Navy's Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR) program. The unit is designed to carry a 500-pound-class payload beyond 300 nautical miles, providing naval aviation with affordable precision mass while allowing pilots to release weapons from greater distances in contested environments.

The production milestone comes after the US Navy articulated an operational requirement for JDAM LR following two demonstration flights conducted off California in early April. The tests validated essential flight functions and demonstrated safe separation from an F/A-18, use of existing aircraft interfaces, controlled powered flight, and navigation.

JDAM LR is positioned as a new layer between conventional JDAM weapons and premium standoff missiles, offering affordable long-range precision-guided munition capabilities to augment shortages of expensive standoff missiles. The system is designed to expand the launch positions available to carrier air wings, support attacks from multiple axes, and reduce the frequency with which non-stealth aircraft must approach dense surface-to-air threat zones.