New Guided Bomb Strikes Afghanistan

Oct. 9 -- The U.S.-led airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan involve a new type of guided bomb that relies on satellites for nearly pinpoint accuracy, U.S. officials said.

The bombs are called Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, and like laser-guided bombs used in the Persian Gulf War and subsequent conflicts, JDAMs can be steered toward targets. Conventional, or so-called dumb bombs, simply drop to the ground.

JDAMs, though, are more accurate than previous precision munitions, using the Global Positioning System — a series of orbiting satellites — to help pinpoint locations anywhere on Earth.

The $18,000 JDAM contains a tiny GPS receiver and can be programmed with the exact coordinates — longitude, latitude, and altitude — of a desired target.

Once released from the aircraft, a JDAM receives data from the GPS satellites to locate where the bomb is relative to the target coordinates. Small control fins on the tail of the bomb adjust to guide it as it falls.

Less Fuss, More Accurate

According to Tim Brown, a senior analyst with GlobalSecurity.org in Alexandria, Va., GPS-guided munitions are much safer and more accurate than laser-guided bombs — they're accurate to within a few feet, and can be dropped from much higher.

Laser-guided bombs require bomber crews to fly low enough to identify the target and illuminate it with a laser before dropping the bomb. If the laser encounters common battlefield conditions such as haze or smoke, "the bomb might lose signal on final approach and still miss [the target]," Brown said.

JDAMs don't require the bomber crew to locate the target. "Soon as you drop the bomb, there's no more involvement on the part of the flight crew," said Brown.

And since pilots don't need to see the target at all, they can fly their planes at higher, safer altitudes.

What's more, since JDAMs are guided by invisible satellite signals, they can be used in any type of weather.

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