Boeing Starts Production on JDAM LR Precision Weapon Capable of 500-Pound Strikes Beyond 300 Nautical Miles

Boeing has begun production of the BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit for the U.S. Navy's Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR) program, marking a key step towards fielding a low-cost precision weapon capable of striking targets over 300 nautical miles away.

The $75 million contract announced by Boeing on August 5, 2026, will enable the company to manufacture the units for the Navy while establishing production space at its St. Charles, Missouri facility and continuing qualification and aircraft-integration work ahead of initial fielding.

JDAM LR extends the established JDAM ecosystem into a modular, powered standoff architecture, with Boeing describing a compact air-breathing propulsion system that maintains JDAM precision and impact-condition control while accommodating Mk-82-form-factor payloads of up to 500 pounds.

The Navy articulated the operational requirement after two demonstration flights conducted off California in early April, which validated essential flight functions but did not publicly demonstrate the complete 300-plus-nautical-mile performance advertised for the production concept.