Editing Joint Direct Attack Munition (section)

{{Short description|American GPS bomb guidance kit}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Joint Direct Attack Munitions<br />{{small|(JDAM)}}
| image              = GBU-31 xxl.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| alt                = 
| caption            = A [[Mark 84 bomb|Mk 84 bomb]] fitted with GBU-31 JDAM kit
| type               = 
| origin             = United States
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = y
| is_bladed          = 
| is_explosive       = 
| is_artillery       = 
| is_vehicle         = 
| is_missile         = y
| is_UK              = <!-- Service history -->
| service            = Since 1999
| used_by            = See [[#Operators|''operators'']]
| wars               = {{ubl|[[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia]]|[[Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present)|Kurdish–Turkish conflict]]|[[War on Terror]]|[[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]]|[[Iraq War]]|[[War in North-West Pakistan]]|[[Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen]]|[[Somalia War (2006–2009)]]|[[Somali Civil War (2009–present)|Somali Civil War]]|[[2011 military intervention in Libya|First Libyan Civil War]]|[[Syrian Civil War]]|[[US intervention in the Syrian civil war|American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War]]|[[US-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)|American-led intervention in Iraq]]|[[Turkish military intervention in Syria (August 2016 – March 2017)|Turkish military intervention in Syria]]|[[Operation Olive Branch]]|[[War in Iraq (2013–2017)]]|[[Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)|Yemeni Civil War]]|[[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]]|[[Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict]]|[[Siege of Marawi]]|[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]|[[Gaza war]]|[[Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)]]|[[2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon]]|[[Operation Prosperity Guardian]]|[[2024 missile strikes in Yemen|Operation Poseidon Archer]]}}
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = [[McDonnell Douglas]]
| design_date        = Late 1980s–1996
| manufacturer       = [[Boeing Defense, Space & Security]]
| unit_cost          = US $21,000–$36,000{{refn|group=note|In the 2021 [[fiscal year]] the USAF paid an average US $21,000 per JDAM kit and the USN an average US $22,208 per JDAM kit for orders within their respective base budgets, laser JDAM kits were included in these averages. In the same year, orders for kits through the supplemental Overseas Contingency Operations budget were an average unit cost of $36,000 for the USAF and $23,074 for the USN.<ref name=WarZone-Trevithick/><ref name=WarZone-Newdick/Rogoway/>}}
| production_date    = 
| number             = 
| variants           = See [[#Variants|''variants'']]
<!-- General specifications -->| spec_label         = see [[#Specifications|''specifications'']]
| mass               = 
| length             = 
| width              = 
| height             = 
| diameter           = <!-- Explosive specifications -->
| filling            = 
| filling_weight     = 
| detonation         = 
| yield              = <!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour             = 
| primary_armament   = 
| secondary_armament = 
| engine             = 
| engine_power       = 
| pw_ratio           = 
| payload_capacity   = 
| drive              = 
| transmission       = 
| suspension         = 
| clearance          = 
| fuel_capacity      = 
| vehicle_range      = 
| speed              = 
| guidance           = 
| steering           = <!-- Missiles only -->
| wingspan           = 
| propellant         = 
| ceiling            = 
| altitude           = 
| boost              = 
| depth              = 
| accuracy           = 
| launch_platform    = [[F-15E]], [[F-16]], [[F/A-18]], [[F/A-18E/F]], [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|AV-8B]], [[A-10]], [[B-1B]], [[B-52H]], [[F-22]], [[B-2A]], [[F-35]], [[General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper|MQ-9]], [[MiG-29]], [[Su-27]], [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado]], [[Gripen]]
| transport          = <!-- For all -->
| ref                = [[Janes Information Services|Janes]]<ref name=Janes-JDAM>{{Citation |author=[[Janes Information Services|Janes]] |url=https://customer.janes.com/display/JALW3667-JALW |title=GBU-31/32/38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) |date=1 June 2023 |website=Janes Weapons: Air Launched |publisher=Jane's Group UK Limited. |publication-place=[[Coulsdon]], [[Surrey]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref><ref name=Janes-LJDAM>{{Citation |author=[[Janes Information Services|Janes]] |url=https://customer.janes.com/display/JALWA091-JALW |title=GBU-54/55/56 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) |date=30 May 2023 |website=Janes Weapons: Air Launched |publisher=Jane's Group UK Limited. |publication-place=[[Coulsdon]], [[Surrey]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref> & ''The War Zone''<ref name="WarZone-Trevithick">{{cite web |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |date=18 February 2020 |title=Here Is What Each Of The Pentagon's Air-Launched Missiles And Bombs Actually Cost |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32277/here-is-what-each-of-the-pentagons-air-launched-missiles-and-bombs-actually-cost |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124225825/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32277/here-is-what-each-of-the-pentagons-air-launched-missiles-and-bombs-actually-cost |archive-date=24 November 2023 |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=The Drive}}</ref><ref name="WarZone-Newdick/Rogoway">{{Cite web |last1=Newdick |first1=Thomas |last2=Rogoway |first2=Tyler |date=15 December 2022 |title=What Joint Direct Attack Munitions Could Do For Ukraine |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/what-jdam-smart-bombs-could-do-for-ukraine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216233353/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/what-jdam-smart-bombs-could-do-for-ukraine |archive-date=16 December 2023 |website=The Drive|access-date=28 August 2023}}</ref>
}}

The '''Joint Direct Attack Munition''' ('''JDAM''') is a guidance kit that converts [[unguided bomb]]s, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather [[precision-guided munitions]] (PGMs). JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated [[inertial guidance system]] coupled to a [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) receiver, giving them a published range of up to {{convert|15|nmi|km}}. JDAM-equipped bombs range from {{convert|500|to|2000|lb|kg}}.<ref name="AFL1">{{cite web |last=Hansen |first=Ryan |date=17 March 2006 |title=JDAM continues to be warfighter's weapon of choice |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/131623/jdam-continues-to-be-warfighters-weapon-of-choice/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906221547/https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/131623/jdam-continues-to-be-warfighters-weapon-of-choice/ |archive-date=6 September 2021 |access-date=27 July 2007 |website=U.S. Air Force}}</ref> The JDAM's guidance system was jointly developed by the [[United States Air Force]] and [[United States Navy]], hence the "joint" in JDAM.<ref name="USAFfactsheet">{{cite web |date=18 June 2003 |title=Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU- 31/32/38 |url=https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104572/joint-direct-attack-munition-gbu-313238.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228182946/https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104572/joint-direct-attack-munition-gbu-313238/ |archive-date=28 December 2023 |access-date=1 April 2014 |website=U.S. Air Force}}</ref> When installed on a bomb, the JDAM kit is given a GBU (Guided Bomb Unit) identifier, superseding the [[Mark 80]] or BLU (Bomb, Live Unit) nomenclature of the bomb to which it is attached.

The JDAM is not a stand-alone weapon; rather it is a "bolt-on" guidance package that converts unguided gravity bombs into PGMs. The key components of the system are a tail section with aerodynamic control surfaces, a (body) [[Strake (aeronautics)|strake]] kit, and a combined inertial guidance system and GPS guidance control unit.<ref name=USAFfactsheet/>

The JDAM was meant to improve upon [[laser-guided bomb]] and [[imaging infrared]] technology, which can be hindered by bad ground and weather conditions. Laser seekers are now being fitted to some JDAMs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laser Guided JDAM Debuts in Iraq |url=https://defense-update.com/20070827_laserguidedjdamdebutsiniraq.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925110040/https://defense-update.com/20070827_laserguidedjdamdebutsiniraq.html |archive-date=25 September 2023 |access-date=5 October 2010 |website=Defense Update|date=27 August 2007 }}</ref>

From 1998 to November 2016, Boeing completed more than 300,000 JDAM guidance kits. In 2017, it built more than 130 kits per day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bogan |first=Jesse |date=27 January 2017 |title=Boeing boosts production of precision-guided bomb kits made in St. Charles to fight ongoing wars by air |url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/boeing-boosts-production-of-precision-guided-bomb-kits-made-in/article_09cb53c2-d2e6-5cb2-812c-fa23182f81f2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404172743/https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/boeing-boosts-production-of-precision-guided-bomb-kits-made-in/article_09cb53c2-d2e6-5cb2-812c-fa23182f81f2.html |archive-date=4 April 2023 |website=St Louis Post-Dispatch}}</ref> As of January 2024, 550,000 kits had been produced.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boeing: Boeing - Precision Engagement Systems |url=https://www.boeing.com/defense/weapons/ |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=www.boeing.com}}</ref>