Laser JDAM Tested on the B-52H Bomber for First Time

Released on Monday, September 15, 2008

BARKSDALE AFB, La., Sept. 15, 2008 -- An airman at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), La., loads a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) onto a B-52H aircraft for a recent demonstration flight. It was the first time the LJDAM had been carried and delivered from a B-52H.

The B-52H is a heavy long-range bomber capable of carrying the largest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. Another demonstration flight is scheduled for later this year.

LJDAM consists of the standard JDAM guidance tail kit as well as a laser guidance kit that acquires and tracks laser target signals. The weapon is designed to accurately and effectively engage stationary and fast-moving targets on land and at sea. The laser guidance also provides accurate alternative targeting in a Global Positioning System-denied environment.