Munitions airmen build GBU-31 JDAM bombs for ISIS Air War at record pace

Published on: December 23, 2015 at 12:59 PM
A dozen 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions sit inside a warehouse at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Dec. 17. The bombs were built by hand by airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadronโ€™s Munitions Flight. The Munitions Flight has built nearly 4,000 bombs since July 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman/Released)

Munitions airmen have set a new record in building JDAM bombs.

Taken at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on Dec. 17, 2015, the following interesting pictures showย a dozen 2,000-pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) built by airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron’s Munitions Flight.

Noteworthy, a team of nearly 60 Munitions airmen set a record, building almostย 4,000 bombs since July 2015, surpassing the previous one by more than 1,600.

GBU-31 3

As we have already explained, the JDAM’s GPS/INS guidance kit integratesย a general purpose gravity bomb improving the weapon accuracy and making this kind of munitions suitable for those targets where adverse weather may affect laser guidance.

GBU-31 4

JDAMs are extensively used in Operation Inherent Resolve, the air campaign conducted against the Islamic State: unlike the Russian Air Force aircraft, than mainly use OFAB-250 iron bombs, the U.S. Air Force only employs PGMs (Precision Guided Munitions) in Syria.

Image credit: Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman / U.S. Air Force



Share This Article
Leave a comment