The US Navy completed two successful demonstration flights of the Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR) variant in early April 2026, each covering approximately 200 nautical miles. The tests validated safe separation from launch aircraft, compatibility with existing interfaces, powered free-flight, and precise navigation to targets.
This milestone advances a lower-cost standoff strike option for carrier air wings, enabling pilots to engage targets from safer distances in contested environments. Capt. Sarah Abbott, Precision Strike Weapons program manager, emphasized the need for greater standoff range amid heavy reliance on JDAM systems.
Developed by Boeing from the retired Powered JDAM concept, JDAM LR adds a TDI J85 turbojet engine, fuel tank, and wing set to a 500-pound Mark 82 warhead. It retains the standard JDAM seeker and aircraft interfaces, converting gravity bombs into cruise munitions with a baseline range of 300 nautical miles; a decoy variant extends to 700 nautical miles.
Boeing showcased anti-ship and Quickstrike mine configurations at WEST 2026 for platforms including F/A-18s, B-52Hs, and B-1Bs. The weapon complements pricier options like Tomahawk, LRASM, JASSM, and StormBreaker through reduced per-unit costs and higher production scalability.
Next steps focus on shipboard integration, including handling, storage, and carrier loading procedures. No initial operational capability date has been set.