Boeing (NYSE:BA) Defense, Space and Security has won a $17.7 million modification contract from the U.S. Navy to provide 1, 496 laser bomb guidance kits, according to a Military & Aerospace Electronics article.
John Keller writes the modification from the Naval Air Systems Command exercises an option for full-rate production of DSU-38/B precision laser guidance sets for the joint direct attack munitions program.
Under the contract, Boeing will deliver 509 JDAM kits to the Navy, 463 to the Air Force, 496 to Saudi Arabia, and 28 to Japan.
The company will perform the contract work in St. Louis through February 2015.
According to article, PLGS uses a laser seeker plus a wire harness fitted under a bomb to connect the seeker with the JDAM tail assembly.
The JDAM kit is built to convert unguided bombs into weapons with GPS or inertial navigation devices.
The missiles have a range of 15 nautical miles, its laser guidance kit has been in use since 2008 and JDAM equipped bombs range from 500 to 2, 000 pounds.
Boeing has been in full-rate production of the JDAM kits for the Navy since 2012 and the company previously won an $11.4 million Air Force contract for 1, 001 JDAM kits.
