The GBU-31 is a modern American guided aerial bomb based on the classic BLU-109 bomb weighing 907 kilograms with a warhead weighing 240 kilograms. GBU-31 was created as a result of works carried out by Boeing and Lockheed Martin in the mid-1990s, on behalf of the USAAF and the US Navy. These works were to lead to the possibility of targeting classic air bombs (eg BLU-109) at the target. This goal was achieved by developing a relatively cheap (unit cost is about $ 20,000) and easy to install JDAM system, which includes an additional bomb-mounted tail, inertial guidance systems and a GPS receiver. The system is capable of operating in all weather conditions and - most likely - in all climatic conditions. It is estimated that in the years 1998-2016, the Boeing concern produced over 300,000 JDAM sets. GBU-31 bombs could or could be carried by such planes as, for example: F-14D, F-16 C / D or F / A-18 E / F, but also B-1B Lancer or B-2 Spirit bombers. Weapons of this type were used between the 1999 Kosovo conflict and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon) is a modern American air-to-ground class soaring bomb. Its first prototypes appeared in the mid-1980s, and mass production began in 1999. The AGM-154 is a bomb with a shaft flight range from 22 to 130 kilometers, capable of carrying a warhead weighing 223 kg, and its total mass is 483 kg.
The AGM-154 JSOW soaring bomb was created as a joint venture of the US Navy and the US Air Force. This bomb was developed by Texas Instruments (now part of the Raytheon concern) as a fire-and-forgot weapon, i.e. one that after dropping does not require further targeting. Despite the lack of a jet propulsion, in most versions, the AGM-154 uses the GPS and INS navigation systems, which allow it to correct the flight on its way to the destination, after being dropped by the carrier plane. The first large-scale version of the bomb was the AGM-154A, which had a maximum range of 74 kilometers. It was dedicated to destroying mainly armored targets. There was also a version of the AGM-154C with improved navigation systems and better protection against enemy interference. There were also versions of the AGM-154 D and E, which have a turbojet engine and are de facto missiles. AGM-154 JSOW gliding bombs are used by many American aircraft, including: F-15 E Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F / A 18 A / B Hornet, F / A 18 E / F Super Hornet or F -35 Lightning II. I am also equipped by the armed forces of Greece, Poland, Singapore and Turkey.
AGM-158 JASSM (ang. Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile ) is a modern, American, air-to-ground maneuvering missile with reduced detectability. The weapon entered service and remains fully operational in 2009. The missile is 4.27 meters long, and its warhead can weigh up to 450 kilograms. The drive is provided by a single jet engine Teledyne CAE J402-CA-100. However, the officially reported range of the missile is approx. 370 kilometers. Design work on the AGM-158 began in the mid-1990s, and in 1998 the US Air Force decided to entrust the implementation of the project to Lockheed-Martin. From the very beginning, it was assumed that the new missile would have a large range and would be fired by planes operating beyond the range of enemy air defense. Moreover, efforts were made to reduce the missile's radar signature and the possibility of its detection by other means of detection as much as possible. These assumptions were fulfilled to a large extent, and after several years of attempts and removal of technical shortcomings, the AGM-158 is undoubtedly an effective weapon of tactical and operational importance. In the US air force and in the US Navy aviation, it is carried by machines such as: F-15E Strike Eagle, F / A-18 E / F Super Hornet or F-35 Lightning II. Moreover, the missile is used by the air forces of several countries, including Poland. In the Polish Air Force, the missile is carried by the F-16 C / D Jastrz±b machines.