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Boeing JDAM with a Kratos* engine - 300NM range

The U.S. Air Force has committed $75 million to an initial production run of a jet-powered guided bomb that can fly more than 300 nautical miles, Boeing said Wednesday.

Boeing’s BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit is a wing-and-turbojet engine kit that converts a 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) into a long-range JDAM (JDAM LR) dubbed the GBU-75. The result is a gravity bomb with the reach of a cruise missile.
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https://www.militarytimes.com/news/...rst-production-contract-for-jet-powered-jdam/

*More Kratos, less Pathos!
 
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Per an article on the subject, apparently USAF manages the JDAM portfolio, so despite the buy being initiated by them, it is for the USN. I do not think the USAF itself is interested; it has a lot of other low cost cruise missile options. For the USN this probably represents a lot of flexibility in their carrier magazines - a mk82 can become an LGB, JDAM, cruise missile, or stand off delivered mine depending on the kit and fuse you attach to it.
 
Defense Updates has uploaded a video about the JDAM-LR:


Boeing has been cleared to start producing Joint Direct Attack Munition-Long Range (JDAM-LR) precision-guided weapons for the U.S. Navy.The JDAM-LR represents an evolution of the well-established JDAM family, and has much longer strike envelop. In a press release , Boeing announced that it had received an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) from the U.S. Air Force valued at $75 million related to JDAM-LR production for the Navy. The Air Force serves as the central manager for the joint-service JDAM program.​
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Viewers may note , earlier in April the U.S. Navy carried out a successful demonstration of the munition.​
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On April 1 , GBU-75 JDAM-LR was deployed from an F/A-18 Super Hornet during trials conducted over the Point Mugu Sea Range in California.The munition covered approximately 230 miles (370 km) in 34 minutes and impacted within meters of its designated target, according to Boeing. A subsequent test on April 3 executed a second preplanned flight profile incorporating altitude variations and weapon maneuvering, while other aspects of the mission remained largely unchanged.​
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#defenseupdates #jdam #usmilitary
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Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:30 SPONSORSHIP - NordVPN
02:04 JDAM-LR OVERVIEW
04:47 JDAM-LR VARIANTS
07:28 ANALYSIS
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Josh_TN said:
As far as I have seen, and it is difficult to imagine the idea scales well upward. I doubt there is ever a larger version.
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Current version is designed to fit the same dimensions as a 2000 Ibs JDAM so going larger means leaving that requierment anything larger also means bigger engine and etc. One probaly could make one but that gets costly quickly
 
2000lb warhead class is already covered by some existing cruise missiles, especially navy ASM. Also USN aviation doesn't like Mk84 much either due to return landing weight.
 
Seragina said:
2000lb warhead class is already covered by some existing cruise missiles, especially navy ASM.
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While true those cruise-missiles are also rather pricey IIRC, a 2,000lb JDAM-LR would qualify as a budget cruise-missile for those who can't afford a dedicated cruise-missile.
 
Forest Green said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2093011335189590068
View: https://x.com/wartranslated/status/2093011335189590068?s=20
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That raises more questions than it answers. Why use a high-flying, non-stealthy missile with a GP warhead to hit a command bunker in Donetsk? As for asserting the engine determines the range, that rather depends on the size of the fuel tank. I'm not sure how far behind the frontline Donetsk currently is, but it's significantly less than 550km. And of course there's a known low-flying, stealthy 550km range missile in Kyiv's arsenal, with a warhead specifically designed for bunker-busting - Storm Shadow/SCALP.
 
DWG said:
That raises more questions than it answers. Why use a high-flying, non-stealthy missile with a GP warhead to hit a command bunker in Donetsk?
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Decoy that happens to still cause damage if it sneaks through.
 
NMaude said:
But what about for those budget conscious militaries who can't afford them? A JDAM-LR with a Mk-84 warhead might be handy in that case.
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Blinded by money!
It's not that simple.
500 lb JDAM-LR is already Mk84 size and probably ~1500 lb.
What do you think how large and heavy Mk84 JDAM-LR version will be?
F16's wing station limit is ~4500 lb, F18 is about the same, F15/F22 are 5000 lb
Upsizing it... itseems it barely clears inner flaps. Best bet only bombers can carry it, likely only B52. I don't think people who can't afford these kind of bombers can use it in the first place.
 

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There is the mk83 as an alternative, but I think we would still be looking at a 3000# class munition with mediocre penetration capabilities and range. I don’t think there’s a market for that. IMO, the only reason the USN adopted it is because they have some very unique requirements and constraints that it fit (mining operations, magazine depot the carrier). Ukrain only adopted it because they will take anything. I doubt this weapon sees wider service - there are plenty of more capable missiles in the same cost bracket with smaller warheads but much better precision, and the target set where a mk82 makes the difference damage wise is probably fleetingly small. I think it will be a USN niche weapon with no export success, and no larger versions.
 
Seragina said:
F16's wing station limit is ~4500 lb, F18 is about the same, F15/F22 are 5000 lb
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Seragina said:
Upsizing it... itseems it barely clears inner flaps.
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In that case carrying a single Mk-84 JDAM-LR mounted on the centre store station.

Seragina said:
Best bet only bombers can carry it, likely only B52.
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I think it would be a useful payload for B-52s and possibly the B-2A, either way I think it's something that should be investigated perhaps going as far as Boeing building and testing some JDAM-LRs sized to take the Mk-83 and Mk-84 warheads.
 
NMaude said:
In that case carrying a single Mk-84 JDAM-LR mounted on the centre store station.
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Nope. Doesn't pass take-off/launch ground clearance.
It might end up being more spectacular than the time the F-18 lost the centerl fuel tank on launch.
NMaude said:
I think it would be a useful payload for B-52s and possibly the B-2A, either way I think it's something that should be investigated perhaps going as far as Boeing building and testing some JDAM-LRs sized to take the Mk-83 and Mk-84 warheads.
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Due to size the location of the rack mounts needs to be moved which could require more changes to existing rotary launchers.
 

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Scott Kenny said:
That wouldn't be too difficult, I don't think. A simple, ~2" or so tall rail to extend the lugs forward.
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If only it's just that. You see due to fuel fraction requierement the thing is quite bit wider. With just a simple mod you can only mount 4 rounds.
But with a perfectly adjusted placement mod it's possible to retain 7 rounds. Also this increases the radius a bit so rotating the whole launcher might be tight with clearance.
 

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There are many other cruise missile options. No one outside the USN is buying this one.

ETA and Ukraine because they will take anything…
 
Josh_TN said:
ETA and Ukraine because they will take anything…
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I have no doubt that they'd happily accept a Mk-84 sized JDAM-LR.

On another note since Ukraine has been getting JDAMS I wonder if they'd develop a ground launched version using surplus SRMs as launch boosters?
 
NMaude said:
I have no doubt that they'd happily accept a Mk-84 sized JDAM-LR.

On another note since Ukraine has been getting JDAMS I wonder if they'd develop a ground launched version using surplus SRMs as launch boosters?
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Maybe?

You'd need a fairly big booster to launch a ~2000lb payload. One on the order of the ATACMS rocket.
 
Scott Kenny said:
You'd need a fairly big booster to launch a ~2000lb payload. One on the order of the ATACMS rocket.
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Certainly if you're talking about the JDAM-ER but it occurred to me that if you're talking about a ground-launched JDAM-LR you could probably launch it using with a high-thrust JATO type launch-rocket with its' jet-engine at full thrust (Like a ground-launched Firebee drone for example).
 
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