The two main types of precision guided bombs in the US arsenal today are guided by either GPS or lasers. But what if there was a way to combine the two on one bomb? That's exactly what the USAF did when it developed the GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition. The GBU-54 is essentially a 500-lb dummy bomb with a strap-on GPS guided tail and a laser guidance sight mounted to the tip. On August 12th this new munition scored its first kill when an F-16 from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Balad Air Base destroyed a "moving enemy vehicle in the Diyala province to support a combined Iraqi army and U.S. Marine operation." An urgent operational need for this type of munition was identified in 2007 and took only 17 months of testing and development before it was in theater for deployment. Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, the U.S. Air Forces Central commander and U.S. Central Commands Combined Force Air Component commander said, "The first combat employment of this weapon is the validation of the exacting hard work of an entire team of professionals who developed, tested and fielded this weapon on an extremely short timeline, based on an urgent needs request we established in the combat zone." While a regular GPS JDAM is perfect for hitting stationary targets, the new Laser JDAM allows the Air Force to strike mobile ground targets as well. This is especially crucial in the fight against VBIEDs. The footage from this engagement is allegedly depicted below.
[AF Link]
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