Joint Direct Attack Munition

Joint Direct Attack Munitions
(JDAM)
Joint Direct Attack Munitions; (JDAM)
	A Mk 84 bomb fitted with GBU-31 JDAM kit
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Since 1999
Used by	See operators
Wars	Kurdish–Turkish conflict; NATO bombing of Yugoslavia; War on Terror; War in Afghanistan; War in North-West Pakistan; Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen; Iraq War; Somalia War (2006–2009); Somali Civil War; 2011 military intervention in Libya; Syrian Civil War; American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War; American-led intervention in Iraq; Turkish military intervention in Syria; Operation Olive Branch; War in Iraq (2013–2017); Yemeni Civil War; Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen; Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir; Siege of Marawi; Russian Invasion of Ukraine; 2023 Israel–Hamas war;
Production history
Designer	McDonnell Douglas
Designed	Late 1980s–1996
Manufacturer	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Unit cost	US $21,000–$36,000
Variants	See variants
Specifications (see specifications)
Launch; platform	F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F/A-18E/F, AV-8B, A-10, B-1B, B-52H, F-22, B-2A, F-35, MQ-9, MiG-29, Su-27, Tornado, Gripen
References	Janes & The War Zone

The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions. JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to 15 nautical miles (28 km). JDAM-equipped bombs range from 500 to 2,000 pounds (230 to 910 kg). The JDAM's guidance system was jointly developed by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, hence the "joint" in JDAM. When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) identifier, superseding the Mark 80 or BLU (Bomb, Live Unit) nomenclature of the bomb to which it is attached.

The JDAM is not a stand-alone weapon; rather it is a "bolt-on" guidance package that converts unguided gravity bombs into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). The key components of the system are a tail section with aerodynamic control surfaces, a (body) strake kit, and a combined inertial guidance system and GPS guidance control unit.

The JDAM was meant to improve upon laser-guided bomb and imaging infrared technology, which can be hindered by bad ground and weather conditions. Laser seekers are now being fitted to some JDAMs.

From 1998 to November 2016, Boeing completed more than 300,000 JDAM guidance kits. In 2017 it built more than 130 kits per day. As of January 2024, 550,000 kits had been produced.

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