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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a low cost, autonomously controlled, adverse weather accurate guidance kit for Air Force/Navy 2,000 pound MK-84 and BLU-109 general purpose bombs, and 1,000 pound MK-83 bomb. There are no planned design changes to the bombs (casing metallurgy, explosive fill, fusing mechanism, etc.), but the existing inventory weapons will be configured with JDAM guidance kits and accessories. The guidance is accomplished via a Global Position System (GPS) aided Inertial Navigation System (INS). Actual weapon launch will occur when the aircrew has flown the aircraft into the weapon Launch Acceptability Region (LAR). The LAR is the three-dimensional area in space in which the weapon may be released to fly directly to a selected target on a predetermined bearing.

The JDAM kit will yield delivery accuracy of 13 meters when GPS is available and less than 30 meters when GPS is absent or jammed. JDAM is designed to 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-52H and the F-18C/D. The 1,000 pound JDAM will be tested and integrated on the AV-8B and F-22.

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 Milestone I review in October 1993 and entered an 18-month DEM/VAL source selection phase (McDonnell Douglas vs. Lockheed Martin). In October 1995, 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 Fall of 1994, the USD(A&T) approved a plan to accelerate the JDAM program by approximately 18 months in order to get precision guided munitions into the field at the earliest possible date. The April 1997 JDAM LRIP decision approved the procurement of 937 MK-84 and BLU-109, 2,000-pound kits in Lot 1, representing approximately 1 percent of the total planned buy. In January 1998, USD(A&T) approved the delay of Milestone III to 3QFY99 and added a second LRIP for JDAM. In May 1998, the LRIP II decision approved the procurement of 2,202 additional 2,000 pound MK-84 kits. In December 1998, USD(A&T) approved further delay of Milestone III until 1QFY00 and added a third LRIP for JDAM. The June 1999 LRIP decision will procure an additional 2,527 MK-84 and BLU-109 kits. Currently, 6.5 percent of the total JDAM procurement has been approved.

The original TEMP is currently being revised to incorporate changes required by the DAB decision to accelerate integration of JDAM on the B-2 aircraft. The revised TEMP will also address concerns identified during early testing.

An AFOTEC OA was completed to support the LRIP decision and combined DT/OT began in July 1998. The B-52 completed two missions and released nine successful JDAMs. The F/A-18 also successfully completed two missions and released six JDAMs. Both Air Force and Navy OTAs began dedicated OT&E in November 1998, prior to the planned 1999 full-rate production decision.

The Navy's F/A-18 will serve as the threshold fighter and the 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 JDAM has currently met or exceeded all accuracy requirements, the program continues to work through a series of developmental, integration, and programmatic issues causing short delays in the commencement of OT. Initial problems with the tail actuator system and JDAM's INS have been investigated at length and appear to be resolved; however, a bending fatigue problem was also discovered in the high-speed, low to medium altitude environment, resulting in cracks in the fin shafts. (These cracks have only occurred in MK-84 tail assemblies carried on the inboard stations of the F/A-18.) A fin-locking device and a redesigned fin shaft are being developed to prevent the cracks from recurring, but these spare parts will not be available for IOT&E/OPEVAL in November 1998. OPEVAL will be considered incomplete until the new tail assembly has been developed and tested for performance and suitability through a Deficiency Correction Verification Test Program. This testing will occur prior to Milestone III.

Current IOT&E plans call for delivery of 122 guided weapons from F/A-18 and B-52 platforms. This schedule should provide ample sampling to evaluate effectiveness and suitability and the only anticipated reliability problems is initial storage reliability, which has already exhibited a sufficient number of failures to prevent achievement of JORD requirements.

BLU-109 instability and maneuverability problems have been overcome with strake redesign and fin realignment. LAR inconsistencies between mission planning software, aircraft display, and weapon capability have been rectified sufficiently to proceed with OT.

MK-84 and BLU-109 IOT&E/OPEVAL will be conducted in parallel and are scheduled to run from November 1998-May 1999. DT of the MK-83 has begun with ground tests, fit checks, and weapon separation tests. Due to funding instabilities with the AV-8B, the proposed OPEVAL on the AV-8B is to be determined. Qualification on the F-22 will occur during F-22 FOT&E in FY03.