Australia selects Boeing JDAM

The Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon system scored a hit last month when the Commonwealth of Australia Department of Defence selected JDAM for the AIR 5409 Bomb Improvement Program.

"JDAM will provide the Royal Australian Air Force with all-weather, autonomous, accurate delivery of bombs against a broad spectrum of targets," said Rick Heerdt, JDAM program manager for Boeing.

A GPS-aided, near-precision weapon, JDAM guidance kits are capable of guiding inventory warheads ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 pounds (227 to 907 kilograms) and have been used extensively in global operations by the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

JDAM was offered in response to the Australian program's requirement for an upgraded weapon system for that nation's fleet of Boeing-built F/A-18 aircraft. The company's offer included JDAM guidance kits, F/A-18 weapon system integration and operational support.

Since 1998, the Boeing Weapons Enterprise Capability Center has produced more than 120,000 JDAM guidance kits for U.S. and international customers.