JDAM "Smart Bombs" are Better Than You Think

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By the late 1990's the first JDAM weapons kits for the United States Air Force were rolling out. Testing showed a whopping 95% system reliability and an accuracy of under 33-foot CEP or Circular Error Probable. Precision guided long range munitions on target. The JDAM and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber made their combat debut in Operation Southern Watch over Yugoslavia, with B-2s delivering over 650 JDAMs. Each kit had an original cost estimated at $40,000 per tail kit, however, competitive bidding saw them being produced for as low as $18,000. Even with inflation, they were a bargain compared to alternatives like the Tactical Tomahawk cruise missile, which came with a hefty price tag of nearly $730,000.

Video Edited by: Ian Fitzgerald
Produced by: Chris Cappy & August Dannehl
Production Assistant: Caitlin

Moreover, the nature of war significantly changed from the saturation bombing days of Vietnam, the 1990s arrived with greater coverage of foreign conflicts and a more interconnected world that would collectively gasp and actively reject any war where civilians are accidentally struck, because of this, due in part to their ability to minimize collateral damage, precision guided munitions have become critical components in U.S. operations, particularly in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria

Their early deployment over Yugoslavia contributed to the growth of the JDAM family of weapons, perfecting the performance of the guidance kit on the same Mark 82 low-drag general-purpose bomb that was extensively used in Vietnam, particularly the 500lb (230 kg) variant of the Mark 80 series, which was a streamlined steel casing containing 192 lb (87 kg) of a high explosive filling known as Tritonal which is a mixture of 80% TNT and 20% aluminum powder giving the DOD a literal 18% more bang for their buck.

Moreover, enhancements such as improved GPS accuracy, resulted in a system reliability of 95% with a 9.6m accuracy rate, which in the case of a bomb with a lethal radious of approximately 80 meters or 262.467 across, is more than enough, so much so that this small distance variation is considered a direct hit giving this system a lethal area of approximately 2,400 square meters or 25833 square feet.

The improved version would later see extensive use during Operation Iraqi Freedom, with expenditures of more than 6,000 JDAMs against enemy targets. Additionally, tests included a spectacular display of B-2/JDAM conventional firepower in the release of 80 JDAMs from a B-2 on a single pass against multiple targets, something unheard of at the time, remember that it used to be the other way around, requiring multiple bombing runs to hit just a single target. The Mark 82 performance would motivate Boeing to pursue further upgrades like a precision seeker for the terminal guidance fase in an experimental extended range version, in-flight target updating and additional warheads configuration being tested for future consideration.

Their use in current conflicts

The JDAM has been one of the most successful weapon programs in the DOD who has procured more than 371,000 kits since 1998 According to IHS Janes, the Air Force originally projected procuring 270,000 JDAM kits. Production peaked at 30,000 kits prior to 2007 before declining until 2015. Increased operational use in Iraq and Syria, in particular, resulted in a reduction in JDAM stockpiles, leading to increased procurement from 2016 through 2020.

You might be wondering why a military would want to use the JDAM instead of artillery shells and this is because Air strikes offer several advantages over artillery in some cases.

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