IMI's MPR 500 warhead approved for use with Boeing JDAM

Ramat Hasharon, Israel, February 12, 2012 -- Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) announced today the Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has approved IMI's 500-pound Multi Purpose Rigid (MPR 500) Bomb as compatible with their Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit.

The combination of IMI's MPR 500 with Boeing's JDAM guidance kit substantially enhances operational flexibility while reducing total ownership costs. With increased penetrating power and reduced collateral damage fragmentation, the MPR 500 was designed to defeat targets more commonly found in today's fighting arena. By delivering IMI's focused munition with Boeing's reliable history of precision guidance, the MPR 500 JDAM system is ideal for hardened targets in dense urban areas or in close proximity to friendly troops.

IMI's MPR 500 is a combat-proven 500-pound bomb with improved penetration capabilities and has the same dimensions as a MK-82. The bomb can penetrate more than one meter of reinforced concrete or punch through four 200-mm thick walls or floors. Because of its 500-pound size, MPR 500 enhances aircraft carriage efficiency, increasing the number of targets that can be engaged per sortie.

MPR 500 provides concentrated blast effects, utilizing approximately 26,000 controlled fragments. This reduces collateral damage risk within one hundred meters. By creating a straight penetration path through the target, the MPR 500 virtually eliminates the "J Effect," in which the bomb's warhead breaks on impact causing it to explode incorrectly.

Boeing's JDAM is an affordable guidance kit that converts unguided free-fall bombs into highly accurate, precision-guided smart weapons. This is achieved through the use of integrated Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System found inside the JDAM tail kit. Known as the "warfighters weapon of choice," JDAM is used by 26 international militaries.

For more information about IMI 's MPR 500, contact:
Rony Tryfus
+972 (3) 5486257 (0)
+972 (544) 555536 (M) rtryfus@imi-israel.com
For more information about Boeing's JDAM, contact:
David Glenn
+1 314-545-6052 (0) +1 636-675-1876 (M) david.m.glenn@boeing.com