Ferra Engineering to Supply Wing Kits for Extended Range JDAMs

JDAM-ER Boeing has selected Brisbane, Australia-based Ferra Engineering to build wing kits that triple the effective range of the Joint...

JDAM-ER

Boeing has selected Brisbane, Australia-based Ferra Engineering to build wing kits that triple the effective range of the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) and allow aircrews to deploy the weapon from beyond the range of an enemy’s air defense system.
The Royal Australian Air Force became Boeing’s first JDAM ER customer in 2011. Boeing builds JDAM weapons in its St. Charles, Mo., facility, about 25 miles west of St. Louis.
JDAM is a tail kit which converts free fall unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons. The tail section contains a GPS/INS guidance system that guides the JDAM bomb to the selected target.
Ferra was Boeing's 2011 International Supplier of the Year. It also does work for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and Commercial Aviation Services group.
Boeing says it aims to begin deliveries of the Australian-developed wing kit in 2015, with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as the first user.
The range of JDAM-ER is classified and depends on the launch conditions and commanded trajectory, but data from a predecessor program suggests that 110 km (60 nm) from high altitude.
Development of the new extended JDAM wing kit was an Australian initiative and is based on the "Kerkanya" glide technology initially developed by Australia's Defense Science and Technology Organization.