Overview
- The Navy ran two JDAM-Long Range demos from F/A-18 Super Hornets that flew about 200 nautical miles to their targets, with the tests conducted on April 1 and April 3 off California.
- The weapon adds a small turbojet, fuel, and wings to a standard GPS-guided JDAM, which turns a gravity bomb into a cruise‑missile‑like round with powered flight to a fixed point.
- Program officials said the flights proved safe separation and use of current aircraft interfaces, and the next phase focuses on carrier handling, storage, and loading procedures.
- Leaders frame the system as an affordable way to strike from outside modern air defenses, easing demand on pricier cruise missiles and letting pilots launch from safer distances.
- Boeing cites a baseline reach of more than 300 nautical miles and a decoy variant above 700, with potential anti‑ship and aerial‑mining roles, though no cost or fielding date is published.