2014 Yemen Civil War

GBU-31 JDAM in the 2014 Yemen Civil War

GBU-31 JDAM use in the 2014 Yemen Civil War is documented by Human Rights Watch remnant evidence from the March 2016 Mastaba market strike and by later reporting on Saudi/UAE-led coalition use of JDAM GBU-31 bombs in Yemen.

Weapon profileGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)
SideYemeni government and Saudi-led coalition forcesRoleLong-Range Strike
GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, Munitions - 2014 Yemen Civil War
Image source: US Navy GBU-31 loading photo

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
A GBU-31 JDAM made from a U.S.-supplied Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb and JDAM kit was found at the March 2016 Mastaba market strike site.

Sources: HRW Mastaba Market Strike

Saudi Arabia requested GBU-31(V)1 and GBU-31(V)3 JDAM tail kits, Mk 84-class bombs, and BLU-109 warheads in a November 2015 munitions package.

Sources: DSCA Saudi Air-to-Ground Munitions

The UAE package listed GBU-31V1 and GBU-31V3 munitions and tied sustainment to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Sources: Federal Register UAE JDAM Notice

Mwatana, the University Network for Human Rights, and PAX reported JDAM GBU-31 bombs among U.S.-made munitions likely used in documented Saudi/UAE-led coalition attacks.

Sources: Day Of Judgment

Timeline

GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109) In 2014 Yemen Civil War

  1. Saudi GBU-31 tail-kit package notified

    DSCA notified Congress of a proposed Saudi air-to-ground munitions package that included GBU-31(V)1 and GBU-31(V)3 JDAM tail kits, Mk 84-class bomb bodies, and BLU-109 penetrator warheads.

    Sources: DSCA Saudi Air-to-Ground Munitions

  2. UAE GBU-31 package published in the Federal Register

    The Federal Register published a UAE package with GBU-31V1 and GBU-31V3 munitions and stated that the sale would sustain the UAE as part of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

    Sources: Federal Register UAE JDAM Notice

  3. Mastaba market strike

    Human Rights Watch later reported GBU-31 JDAM remnants at the site of the March 15, 2016 Mastaba market strike in northern Yemen.

    Sources: HRW Mastaba Market Strike

  4. Mwatana, University Network, and PAX report JDAM GBU-31 pattern

    Day Of Judgment described JDAM GBU-31 bombs among U.S.-made munitions likely used in Saudi/UAE-led coalition attacks documented in Yemen.

    Sources: Day Of Judgment

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Human Rights Watch documented GBU-31 JDAM use in Yemen after the March 15, 2016 Mastaba market strike in Hajjah governorate. Its investigators visited the site on March 28 and reported remnants of a GBU-31 satellite-guided bomb made from a U.S.-supplied Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb and a JDAM satellite guidance kit.

The same investigation attributed the strike to Saudi Arabia-led coalition airstrikes and placed the attack in the first year of the coalition intervention in Yemen. Human Rights Watch also cited a UN human rights team that visited the site the day after the attack and compiled 97 named civilian deaths, while noting that another 10 bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Sources: HRW Mastaba Market Strike

Timeline

Public transfer and remnant evidence places the GBU-31 family in the Saudi/UAE-led coalition air campaign from 2015 onward. In November 2015, a U.S. notice for Saudi Arabia listed 400 GBU-31(V)1 KMU-556 JDAM tail kits, 1,000 GBU-31(V)3 KMU-557 JDAM tail kits, Mk 84-class 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs, and BLU-109 2,000-pound penetrator warheads. The notice said the package replenished Royal Saudi Air Force weapons stocks depleted by high operational tempo and that the RSAF could field and employ the munitions.

A Federal Register notice for the United Arab Emirates, also in November 2015, listed 3,250 GBU-31V1 munitions with Mk 84/BLU-117 bombs and 750 GBU-31V3 munitions with BLU-109 bombs. The notice stated that the munitions would sustain the UAE as part of the Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore Yemen's legitimate government.

Sources: DSCA Saudi Air-to-Ground Munitions, Federal Register UAE JDAM Notice

Role in coalition air operations

In Yemen, the documented GBU-31 role was air-delivered precision strike by coalition aircraft. The Mastaba evidence identifies the Mk 84-body GBU-31 path, while U.S. arms-sale notices show both the Mk 84/BLU-117 GBU-31(V)1 and BLU-109 GBU-31(V)3 paths in Saudi and Emirati coalition munitions packages.

Mwatana for Human Rights, the University Network for Human Rights, and PAX described Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the coalition members leading the military campaign in Yemen and likely responsible for most coalition airstrikes. Their 2019 report said U.S.-made munitions likely used in documented coalition attacks included Mark 80-series bombs, Paveway-series precision-guided bombs, and bombs with the JDAM guidance system, including JDAM GBU-31 bombs.

Sources: HRW Mastaba Market Strike, Day Of Judgment, DSCA Saudi Air-to-Ground Munitions, Federal Register UAE JDAM Notice

Related Weapons by Role

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GBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound JDAM bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound JDAM bombThe GBU-31(V)1/B Joint Direct Attack Munition is the Mk 84 general-purpose lane of the 2,000-pound JDAM family, combining Boeing's GPS/INS tail-control kit with a 2,000-pound-class bomb body. Official Air Force, Navy, Boeing, and security-assistance sources separate this KMU-556/Mk 84 configuration from BLU-109 penetrator GBU-31 variants, while direct records document exact or Mk 84-specific GBU-31 use in the 2011 Libya air campaign and the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict.
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit, GPS/INS guidance tail kit for free-fall bombs, MunitionsMunitionsJoint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kitGPS/INS guidance tail kit for free-fall bombsJoint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is Boeing's U.S.-origin GPS/INS tail-kit family for converting compatible Mk 80- and BLU-series free-fall bomb bodies into all-weather guided bombs. The family spans 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound bomb-body classes, with standard GBU-31, GBU-32, and GBU-38 records separated from later Laser JDAM and JDAM-ER derivatives. Official Air Force and Navy records document JDAM's 1999 combat debut with NATO B-2 operations during Operation Allied Force.
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kit, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kitThe GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition is Boeing's GPS/INS JDAM guidance kit applied to the Mk 83 or BLU-110 1,000-pound bomb-body class. JDAM is a conversion kit rather than a stand-alone bomb, and the GBU-32 sits in the middle of the JDAM family between 500-pound and 2,000-pound variants. Direct conflict-use sources connect the GBU-32 to U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and NATO-led coalition operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, while OHCHR reported suspected Israeli use of GBU-32 bombs in Gaza strikes during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
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Sources