The Air Force demonstrated the 500-pound laser joint direct attack munition for the first time off of the B-52H bomber during a recent test, Boeing, the bomb’s maker, announced Monday. This was the first time the LJDAM had been carried and delivered from the B-52, the company said. Another demonstration flight is scheduled for later this year, Boeing said. LJDAM comprises a laser-guidance package that is added to the standard GPS-navigation-aided JDAM. The laser guidance allows the weapon, which has traditionally been used to attack fixed or stationary targets accurately, the ability to strike fast moving objects with precision as well. LJDAM entered the Air Force’s inventory earlier this year. It was used for the first time in combat on Aug. 12 when an F-16 fighter from Joint Balad Base deployed one to take out a moving enemy vehicle in Diyala Province.
A B-52H bomber launched a simulated AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response hypersonic missile at a target some 600 miles away during the ongoing Northern Edge exercise in Alaska, the Air Force said. The simulated shot was a success and demonstrated Airborne Battle Management System techniques to facilitate the kill chain for…