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World Defense & Security Industry News - Boeing Defense
 
 
Boeing wins a $262 mn order from USAF for Lot 17 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits
 
The US-based defense giant Boeing has secured a potential two-year, $262 million contract to supply bomb guidance tailkits to the U.S. Air Force, the US Department of Defense announced yesterday, Nov. 23, 2015. The firm-fixed-price contract covers the production of lot 17 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, the Defense Department said Monday.
     
Boeing wins a 262 mn order from USAF for Lot 17 Joint Direct Attack Munition kits 640 001Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition kits
     
Under this contract, Boeing will provide JDAM strap-on inertial guidance kits with the capability to receive guidance updates from Global Positioning Systems to increase weapon accuracy for conventional inventory bombs. JDAM tailkits work to convert free-falling bombs into weapons guided by GPS and inertial guidance platforms.

The JDAM kit consists of a new tail section that contains an inertial navigation system/global positioning system (INS/GPS) and body strakes for additional stability and lift. Bombs can be accurately delivered in any weather conditions and be launched at a great distance from the target, and the navigation system can be relied on to update the weapon all the way to impact.

Currently, tail kit variants are integrated with the MK-84 2,000-pound and BLU-109 2,000-pound (900 kg) warheads (GBU-31). MK-83 1,000-pound (GBU-32) and MK-82 500-pound (225-kg) warheads (GBU-38) are in production to deliver the cost-effective JDAM. When employed, these weapons have proven highly accurate and can be delivered in any flyable weather. JDAM can be launched from more than 15 miles from the target with updates from GPS satellites to help guide the weapon to the target. Laser JDAM has been integrated with the GBU-38. Follow-on integration with the GBU-31 and GBU-32 is planned.

Boeing will perform contract work in St. Louis through Nov. 20, 2017, according to DoD.

The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center will obligate $13 million from the service branch’s ammunition funds from fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2016 at the time of award.