US begins production of Boeing's new 550-km precision bomb
A JDAM LR carrier aircraft (photo: US Navy)
The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing the go-ahead for serial production of the new long-range JDAM LR guided bomb, capable of striking targets at distances exceeding 550 kilometers, according to a Boeing press release.
$75 million contract
The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a $75 million Undefinitized Contract Action for the procurement of BSU-111/B payload delivery modules, a key component of the Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR). It is a precision-guided bomb capable of traveling more than 300 nautical miles (about 555 kilometers) with a 500-pound (226-kilogram) class warhead.
The contract became possible after Boeing invested nearly $100 million of its own funds into the program. It paves the way for initial serial production of the munitions for the United States Navy.
How the JDAM LR works
The new bomb combines the existing JDAM guidance system with a wing kit and a compact turbojet engine, significantly increasing its flight range. According to the developers, this enables strikes against land and maritime targets, as well as the deployment of naval mines at long distances while remaining outside the range of enemy air defenses.
By using the existing JDAM infrastructure, Boeing expects to achieve scalable production and rapid integration of the munition with any platform capable of carrying standard JDAMs. The system has already completed its first flight test off the coast of California, confirming stable target guidance using a military GPS code.
"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,” said Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named the date by which Ukraine expects to obtain a license for domestic production of missiles for the Patriot air defense system — by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, as of early August, negotiations between Kyiv and Washington on the joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles are still ongoing, with no agreement expected in the near term.
