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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

JOINT DIRECT ATTACK MUNITION (JDAM)

	Air Force/Navy ACAT ID Program 62,000 Air Force Weapons 25,000 Navy Weapons Total program cost (TY$) $2437.1M Full-rate production 3QFY99 Prime Contractor Boeing-St. Louis

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

JDAM is a low cost, autonomously controlled, adverse weather accurate guidance kit for Air Force/Navy 2,000 pound MK-84 and the BLU-109 general purpose bombs and the 1,000 pound MK-83 bomb. No design changes to the bombs (casing metallurgy, explosive fill, fusing mechanism, etc.) are planned, but the existing inventory weapons will be configured with JDAM guidance kit and accessories. The guidance is accomplished via a Global Position System (GPS) aided Inertial Navigation System (INS).

The JDAM kit will yield a delivery accuracy from 13 meters when GPS is available, to less than 30 meters when GPS is absent or jammed. JDAM will be employed by a variety of fighter/attack and bomber aircraft allowing precision engagement from all altitudes. The primary aircraft for integration of the 2,000 pound JDAM will be the B-52 and the F-18C/D. The 1,000 pound JDAM will be tested and integrated on the AV-8B and F-22.

A follow-on Product Improvement Program (PIP) is planned to provide JDAM precision accuracy (3 meter). Concept studies for various autonomous terminal seekers are underway.

JDAM has been designated as a Pilot Program in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 which authorizes relief from numerous DOD regulatory requirements. However, Title 10 OT&E and LFT&E statutory requirements have not been waived. JDAM successfully completed a MS-I review in October 93 and entered an 18 month DEM VAL/source selection phase (McDonnell Douglas vs. Lockheed Martin). In October 95, the Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas Aerospace as the winning JDAM contractor for Phase II EMD and production. Selection was based on overall performance, design, and cost.

JDAM was removed from OSD live fire oversight in November 1993.

In the Fall of 1994, the USD(A&T) approved a plan to accelerate the JDAM program by approximately 18 months in order to get PGMs into the field at earliest possible date. The JDAM LRIP decision, made in April 1997 approved the procurement of 937 2,000-pound kits in Lot 1, representing approximately 1 percent of the total planned buy.

DOT&E reviewed the OT&E program as outlined in an August 1993 Service approved TEMP. While the TEMP adequately reflected the status of the OT&E program for a MS I decision, it was returned to the USAF to incorporate changes required by the DAB decision to accelerate integration of JDAM on the B-2 aircraft. The current TEMP is under revision to address concerns identified during early testing.

No JDAM OT&E has been conducted to date. An AFOTEC operational assessment was completed to support the LRIP decision (FY97), and both Air Force and Navy OTAs will be conducting dedicated OT&E phases prior to the planned 1999 full-rate production decision.

The Navy's F/A-18 will serve as the (Joint) threshold fighter and B-52 as the threshold bomber during the dedicated IOT&E phase. However, results of concurrent JDAM integration testing on the

F-16, B-1 and B-2 will also be available to support an informed full rate production decision.

Although the JDAM program continues to make significant progress, operational testing has been delayed. Combined DT/OT has identified problems with the tail actuator system as well as a related problem with the weapon INS. Both problems are observed in a high-speed, low altitude flight environment, and only on the F/A-18 aircraft. A redesigned tail locking mechanism is under investigation as a means to address both concerns. The JDAM operational test strategy calls for delivery of over 100 guided weapons from both fighter and bomber platforms. This will provide ample evidence of effectiveness and suitability. It is expected that the JDAM will meet both its accuracy and reliability requirements once the current F/A-18 carriage problems are resolved.

Initial BLU-109 testing highlighted an instability problem that will require redesign and re-testing of the hardware and software portions of the weapon. MK-83, 1000 pound variant will benefit from redesign effort as it also has an instability problem. Both instability problems result in reduced delivery envelopes for the weapons.

MK-84 IOT&E / OPEVAL will be conducted May 1998 through December 1998. JDAM BLU-109 IOT&E will be conducted in parallel and is also scheduled to be completed by the end of the calendar year. Developmental testing of the MK-83 variant is scheduled for FY98, with proposed OPEVAL on the AV-8B in FY00. Qualification on the F-22 will occur during F-22 FOT&E in FY03.