Air Force approves long-range JDAM production

ST. CHARLES, Mo., August 5, 2026 — The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing (NYSE: BA) a $75 million Undefinitized Contract Action to acquire the BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit for the Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range, a precision-guided munition capable of traveling more than 300 nautical miles with a 500-pound-class payload. The award follows nearly $100 million in internal investment by Boeing and clears the program for initial production of PDUs for the U.S. Navy.

JDAM LR combines the existing JDAM guidance tail kit and aircraft interface with a wing kit and compact turbojet engine to extend range for precision conventional land strike, naval strike and maritime aerial-mining missions. By leveraging JDAM infrastructure, it is designed for high-volume production and rapid integration with any aircraft capable of carrying conventional JDAM.

“This first production contract is a major milestone for the JDAM LR program, demonstrating our ability to deliver long-range precision-strike capability at a significantly lower cost,” said Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems. “Scaling production of the GBU-75 will provide the fleet with an affordable, sustainable solution designed to eliminate long-range land and sea-based threats to U.S. and international forces and enable them to safely and effectively operate in a contested battlespace.”

The system recently completed its first flight test off the coast of California, meeting objectives that included sustaining powered flight on a predefined test profile and using military-code GPS navigation while maintaining consistent guidance to its target.

“JDAM LR gives operators an affordable, mass-producible option for striking targets from beyond the effective range of enemy defenses,” said Ciesla.