US Air Force,
Eglin AAF FL: The two 500-pound bombs that took out terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi June 7 have a long history of development and improvements at the Air Armament Center here. The munitions used were a GBU-38 – a bomb with a tail kit better known as a Joint Direct Attack Munition, which uses inertial navigation and a global positioning system to help ensure the bomb hits the target, and the GBU-12 – a bomb that is laser guided to the target.
“With the war being brought into the cities, it is more critical than ever that the capabilities and precision of the munitions developed and tested at Eglin are accurate,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Riemer, Air Armament Center commander and program executive officer for weapons.
“The incredible precision of the munitions we've developed helps to ensure collateral damage is kept to a minimum.”
“The precision-guided GBU-12 and the Joint Direct Attack Munition can be carried on most military fighter aircraft and on the B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers,” said Tom Robillard, 308th Armament Systems Wing director. “The precision of these munitions enables the warfighter to hit very specific targets while limiting damage to the surrounding area.”
“For example, a pilot is able to target a specific house, like in the case with Al Zarqawi, and hit the house, without destroying the entire neighborhood,” Robillard explained. “This kind of precision and accuracy is vital to winning the Global War on Terrorism.”
The Joint Direct Attack Munition, which began development at Eglin in 1992, is a high-tech tail kit that can be put on 2,000-pound, 1,000-pound and 500-pound general purpose bombs to convert them into “smart bombs.”
“Joint Direct Attack Munition
