Boeing’s JDAM-LR Raises New Concerns Over Long-Range Airstrikes Against Russia

About a year ago, references to the American JDAM bomb suddenly disappeared from Russian Defense Ministry reports. That does not necessarily mean Ukrainian forces stopped using it; more likely, it simply became lost among other weapons of the same type, making it pointless to mention it separately. However, the JDAM bomb may soon make an explicit comeback. A more dangerous long-range version has emerged, and it could travel much deeper into Russia.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by U.S. Navy photo, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

US Navy 020308-N-1587C-091 JDAM Loaded on an F-A-18

JDAM-LR Could Fly Up to 540 Kilometers

Boeing has developed the new version of the bomb, designated LR — meaning "long range." The bomb can be carried by the main fighter-bombers of the U. S. Air Force as well as by aircraft of the same class manufactured by other countries. Boeing emphasizes how easily the bomb can be adapted to different carriers.

With a new external equipment package, the JDAM-LR can travel up to 500 kilometers after being released by its carrier aircraft, which would represent a major advance for this class of weapon. More precisely, the manufacturer claims a range of 300 nautical miles, or approximately 540 kilometers.

This is not an extremely expensive technology requiring years to introduce. The existing wing-equipped modification receives a compact turbojet engine, which provides the additional range at a flight speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour.

Boeing presents the solution as a low-cost option and has already secured its first $75 million contract. The price does not appear astronomical. But the system essentially involves installing an external kit with a jet engine on bombs that have already been manufactured. And the United States has a very large stockpile of such bombs, numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.

First Tests and the Question of Ukraine

The new external equipment package underwent testing in April, when an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter released the bomb. At that time, however, the weapon flew no more than 200 miles, and its accuracy was not perfect. The bomb landed several meters from its target. Apparently, those shortcomings have since been addressed, since the first contract has now been signed.

Now comes the biggest question: when will these bombs reach Ukraine?

Given that the project is specifically tailored to the needs of the U. S. Navy, one might take some comfort from the possibility that JDAM-LR bombs will not reach what the author describes as "this terrorist state" anytime soon and may instead first see combat against Iran.

This is especially relevant because the United States currently faces an acute shortage of long-range and, most importantly, inexpensive aerial attack weapons, making Boeing's development particularly timely.

Bob Sesla, one of Boeing's senior executives overseeing the project, described the weapon this way: "This weapon brings the cruise missile concept to the JDAM family at a lower cost, allowing it to be produced in large quantities."

Indeed, for the United States, mass deployment of the new bomb-missile against Iran could prove highly attractive in the event of another escalation.

On the other hand, where else could the Americans test this bomb if not on the Ukrainian-Russian front? The Ukrainian battlefield provides an exceptionally broad range of conditions for testing the weapon in combat, particularly its ability to overcome Russian air defenses.

This means that if Ukrainian aircraft begin using such bombs on a large scale, the density of airstrikes against Russian territory could increase.

Incidentally, the Russian Defense Ministry's report of August 7 recorded a sharp surge in the use of guided aerial bombs. The report did not specify their types, but Russian forces claimed to have intercepted 91 of them. On ordinary days, the number is usually measured in the tens.

The earlier JDAM-ER version could travel a maximum of 75 kilometers. In practice, this meant that Ukrainian forces could use it mainly around the line of contact and in Russia's immediate rear areas. The new version, however, gives the bomb capabilities resembling those of a mass-produced cruise missile, and the risks are therefore increasing significantly.

One somewhat reassuring factor is the relatively small warhead of the new bomb, which weighs just over 200 kilograms. Compared with Russia's three-ton FAB-3000 bombs, that is insignificant. At the same time, however, Russian bombs currently do not have the same range.

It is worth noting that Russian weapons manufacturers have also begun installing additional engines and even boosters on glide bombs. Information about this development has been available since last autumn. However, the exact specifications have not yet been disclosed. Military experts estimate their range at 150-200 kilometers.

Compared with Boeing's latest development, that is of course much less, but hopefully the Russian defense industry is also working ahead of the curve.

Finally, it is worth noting that Boeing, the corporation now sending dangerous "gifts" to us through Ukraine, was until recently one of the largest suppliers of civilian aircraft to Russia.

Will Moscow really resume commercial relations with the company once the special military operation ends? In an industry as complex as aviation, it may be difficult to eliminate interaction with the world's largest manufacturers. But we need to draw the necessary conclusions.