The National Interest on MSN

JDAM kits: How the US Navy and Air Force make “dumb” bombs smart

JDAM kits make it possible for any bomb to be used as a precision-guided munition at relatively low cost—making them vital ...
The Aviationist

Photo: F-35’s first in-flight weapon release (of a huge 2,000 pound GBU-31 JDAM)

On Oct. 16, a conventional take off and landing (CTOL) version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, completed the first weapon drop, releasing a huge 2,000 pound GBU-31 BLU-109 warhead Joint Direct ...
Aviation Week

JSF Program Achieves Two More Milestones

The multinational F-35 program last week conducted its second weapons drop and gained two fully installed full-mission simulators. On Oct. 17, a conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35, AF-1, performed ...
The Aviationist

US-Supplied JDAM-ER Glide Bombs Appear On Ukrainian Jets For The First Time

Photos posted online show the bomb’s Mk-80 series body and part of its glide kit, as well as a Storm Shadow missile carried by a Su-24 using a modified pylon from the Tornado GR4. New photos of ...