Boeing’s JDAM-LR Raises New Concerns Over Long-Range Airstrikes Against Russia

About a year ago, references to the American JDAM bomb suddenly disappeared from Russian Defense Ministry reports. That does not necessarily mean Ukrainian forces stopped using it; more likely, it simply became lost among other weapons of the same type, making it pointless to mention it separately. However, the JDAM bomb may soon make an explicit comeback. A more dangerous long-range version has emerged, and it could travel much deeper into Russia. JDAM-LR Could Fly Up to 540 Kilometers Boeing has developed the new version of the bomb, designated LR — meaning "long range." The bomb can be carried by the main fighter-bombers of the U. S. Air Force as well as by aircraft of the same class manufactured by other countries. Boeing emphasizes how easily the bomb can be adapted to different carriers. With a new external equipment package, the JDAM-LR can travel up to 500 kilometers after being released by its carrier aircraft, which would represent a major advance for this class of weapon. More precisely, the manufacturer claims a range of 300 nautical miles, or approximately 540 kilometers.