The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $75 million initial production contract for a jet-propelled guided bomb designed to hit targets more than 300 nautical miles away. Known as the GBU-75 or Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR), the system utilizes Boeing’s BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit—a specialized wing-and-turbojet engine kit—to convert a standard 500-pound gravity bomb into a long-range precision weapon.
Powered by a Kratos-designed TDI-J85 engine, the new kit represents a massive evolution for the JDAM family, expanding its reach from the original 15 nautical miles of basic tail kits and 40 nautical miles of winged variants to over 300. Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, noted that scaling GBU-75 production provides military forces with an affordable, sustainable tool built to neutralize distant land and maritime threats.
The initial batch of GBU-75s is slated for the U.S. Navy, following successful flight tests conducted by Super Hornets over the Point Mugu Sea Range in California. During those tests, the weapon separated cleanly, ignited its jet engine, flew for 34 minutes, executed altitude changes, and hit within meters of its target after covering roughly 200 nautical miles. Capt. Sarah Abbott, the Navy’s Precision Strike Weapons program manager, highlighted that providing fleet JDAMs with significantly greater standoff distance allows pilots to strike high-threat targets from safer positions.
A key advantage of the program is seamless operational integration. Built on existing production lines and guidance hardware, any aircraft capable of dropping a standard JDAM can carry and deploy the jet-powered GBU-75 without physical modifications. Beyond standard strikes, the technology also supports the QuickStrike Long Range variant for maritime mining using ship-tracking sensors. Issued through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the contract was structured as an undefinitized action to allow Boeing to begin immediate work, though delivery schedules and unit quantities remain undisclosed.
