United Arab Emirates Air Force Orders 4900 JDAM

The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) has requested the United States for the purchase of 4900 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit which can convert the unguided bombs into low-cost precision guided bombs.

The JDAM guidance kits uses INS & GPS receiver to accurately guide the bomb to its intended target. A JDAM guidence kit allows circular error probable (CEP) of less then 10 m when Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is available but even if the GPS signal is jammed/lost, its  inertial guidance system (INS) allows it to achieve a CEP of less then 30 m.

The UAEAF will purchase 4,900 JDAM kits from the United States in a deal worth $304 million.

This deal includes 304 GBU-54 Laser JDAM guidance kits was developed by adding DSU-40 Laser Sensors to the 500-lb GBU-38 JDAM. The UAEAF has also ordered 3,000 GBU-38(V)1 JDAM kits along with  3,300 BLU-111 500lb General Purpose Bombs, 1000 GBU-31(V)1 JDAMkits with 1,000 BLU-117 2,000lb class penetration bombs which look identical to the MK 84, but uses the PBXN-109 thermally insensitive explosive and 600 GBU-31(V)3 JDAM kits with 600 BLU-109 2,000lb hardened penetration bunker buster bombs.