During the 2001 War in Afghanistan, a U.S. Navy VFA-131 F/A-18 carried the new GBU-32 JDAM on combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in March 2002.
Role detailsMunitions
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition
Also known as
- GBU-32
- GBU-32 JDAM
- GBU-32(V)1/B
- GBU-32(V)2/B
- 1,000-pound JDAM
- 1000-pound JDAM
- Mk 83 JDAM
The 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.
Role in Conflicts
During the 2003 Iraq War, HRW's review of U.S. Central Command data listed 768 GBU-32 JDAMs among U.S. air-delivered weapons used in the 2003 campaign, and NHHC records later John F. Kennedy air-wing use of GBU-32 guided bombs against anti-Iraqi positions in July 2004.
Role detailsDuring the 2011 First Libyan Civil War, RAND's Libya air-campaign study identifies GBU-32 JDAMs among Italian precision munitions used by NATO-led coalition aircraft, including Tornado IDS strike loadouts and AV-8B attack sorties.
In 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, AFCENT reporting tied F-22 close-air-support and precision-strike missions in Iraq and Syria to GBU-32 JDAM attacks, while Joint Base Langley-Eustis later recorded the 27th Fighter Squadron setting F-22-unit GBU-32 drop records during its 2017 deployment.
- Side
- Israel
In the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, OHCHR reported suspected Israeli use of GBU-32 bombs in Gaza attacks from 9 October to 2 December 2023.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States
- Built by
- Boeing
- Type
- 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kit
- Service note
- 1999-present
- Designer
- Boeing
- Designed
- 1990s
- Unit cost
- Approximately $22,000 per tail kit (fiscal 2007 dollars)
- Produced
- 1998-present
- Number built
- Not publicly disclosed
Specifications
- Guidance
- GPS/INS tail kit
- Warhead
- Mk 83 or BLU-110 1,000-pound class bomb body
- Launch weight
- 1,013 pounds (460.5 kilograms)
- Length
- 119.5 inches (303.5 centimeters)
- Wingspan
- 19.6 inches (49.8 centimeters)
- Range
- Up to 15 miles
Variants
JDAM is a guidance-kit family applied to existing bomb bodies. The same 1,000-pound class can therefore appear as a standard GPS/INS JDAM, a Laser JDAM with terminal laser homing, or a JDAM-ER with a wing kit for longer-range glide attacks; adjacent 2,000-pound GBU-31 designations sit in the same JDAM family but use heavier bomb bodies.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | 500-pound Mk 82 JDAM family member | The Air Force JDAM fact sheet identifies GBU-38 as the 500-pound JDAM variant, making it the lighter standard GPS/INS counterpart below the 1,000-pound GBU-32. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
 | BLU-110 JDAM designation | Designation Systems identifies GBU-35(V)1/B as the 1,000-pound BLU-110 JDAM designation and notes later Navy use of GBU-32(V)2/B for the 1,000-pound class. Sources: Wikipedia JDAM article, Designation Systems JDAM page |
| Laser JDAM variant | The JDAM specifications table places GBU-55 LJDAM in the same 1,000-pound Mk 83 warhead class as GBU-32, with semi-active laser guidance added to GPS/INS. Sources: Wikipedia JDAM article, Boeing Laser JDAM product card |
| Extended-range variant | The JDAM variant list identifies GBU-63 as the Mk 83 JDAM-ER designation, extending the 1,000-pound class with the JDAM-ER wing-kit concept. Sources: Wikipedia JDAM article, Boeing JDAM-ER product card |
 | 2,000-pound BLU-109 JDAM family member | The GBU-31(V)3/B is an adjacent 2,000-pound JDAM-family designation using the BLU-109 hard-target penetrator bomb body, making it the heavier class related to the 1,000-pound GBU-32. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet, Navy JDAM fact file |
 | 2,000-pound Mk 84 JDAM family member | The GBU-31(V)1/B is the standard 2,000-pound Mk 84 JDAM-family configuration, giving the table the heavier GPS/INS counterpart to the GBU-32. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
Carrier Aircraft
The AV-8B Harrier II, Panavia Tornado, and F-35B are documented carrying the GBU-32 in strike loadouts. The same 1,000-pound JDAM tells a different story depending on the aircraft carrying it: stealthy internal carriage on a Raptor, carrier-deck loading on a Super Hornet, tactical strike from F-15E or F-16 units, and mass precision attack from bomber aircraft.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Multirole fighter aircraft | Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory lists GBU-32 Mk-83 JDAM among the aircraft's external carriage options. Sources: Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory |
 | V/STOL attack aircraft | The AV-8B PDF fact file lists GBU-32 among the Harrier's air-to-ground weapons, and RAND's Libya air-campaign study describes U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B attack sorties carrying GBU-32s during the 2011 intervention. Sources: NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact File, RAND Precision and Purpose Libya air campaign |
 | Variable-sweep strike aircraft | RAND's Libya air-campaign study identifies Italian Tornado IDS strike loadouts that included GPS-guided GBU-32 JDAMs. |
 | Stealth fighter | F-22 testing made the GBU-32 memorable: a 2005 supersonic separation test from an internal weapons bay and a 2006 Mach 1.5, 50,000-foot JDAM release showed how a 1,000-pound precision bomb could fit the Raptor strike mission. Sources: Air Force supersonic JDAM release, Lockheed Martin F-22 JDAM test |
 | Strike fighter | An Air Force training document says the F-15E Strike Eagle can carry two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions internally. Sources: Powder River Training Complex Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota |
 | Carrier fighter | U.S. Navy fact-file and gallery evidence place JDAM in the carrier-air-wing ecosystem, including GBU-32 loading aboard a Super Hornet. |
 | Multirole fighter | The F-16C/D compatibility note shows the 1,000-pound JDAM was not only a bomber weapon; smaller tactical fighters could employ the same precision-bomb family. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
 | Bomber | Bomber compatibility makes the JDAM family scalable: the Air Force fact sheet notes B-2 testing with 16 JDAMs released in one pass against multiple targets. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
 | Bomber | The Air Force JDAM fact sheet lists the B-1B among aircraft compatible with the JDAM family, connecting the GBU-32 class to bomber-scale precision attack. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
 | Bomber | The Air Force JDAM fact sheet lists the B-52H among aircraft compatible with the JDAM family, extending the 1,000-pound class into heavy bomber carriage. Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet |
 | Stealth multirole fighter | Lockheed Martin's F-35 about page lists two GBU-32 JDAM guided bombs in the F-35's standard internal weapons load. Sources: About the F-35 |
 | STOVL stealth multirole fighter | The Marine Corps report identifies GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions among the ordnance loaded onto the F-35B. |
Bomb Body Compatibility
The GBU-32 designation sits on the 1,000-pound bomb-body class; nearby GBU designations now appear in the Variants section when they have their own catalog pages.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Bomb body class | The 1,000-pound drop-bomb class covers the Mk 83 / BLU-110 bomb bodies that sit under the GBU-32 weight band. |
Designation Split
GBU-32 is easiest to read as a JDAM kit-and-bomb-body designation rather than a separate bomb design. Public sources place the main 1,000-pound class around Mk 83 and BLU-110 bomb bodies, with older Navy designation material separating the BLU-110 path before later GBU-32(V)2/B usage folded the 1,000-pound Navy naming together.
| Designation element | Catalog meaning | Reader note |
|---|---|---|
| GBU-32(V)1/B | Standard 1,000-pound Mk 83 JDAM path | The Air Force fact sheet and Boeing JDAM material place GBU-32 in the 1,000-pound GPS/INS JDAM family. |
| GBU-35(V)1/B | BLU-110-bodied 1,000-pound JDAM designation | Designation Systems separates the BLU-110 path as GBU-35(V)1/B, which explains why GBU-35 appears as a linked adjacent record. |
| GBU-32(V)2/B | Later Navy umbrella naming for the 1,000-pound class | Designation Systems says Navy usage later applied GBU-32(V)2/B to both Mk 83 and BLU-110-bodied 1,000-pound JDAMs. |
Timeline
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition Key Events
Adverse-weather precision-bomb work begins
After Desert Storm exposed weather and medium-altitude bombing limits, U.S. Air Force research and development began on the adverse-weather precision guided munition effort that became JDAM.
Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet
Boeing delivers the first production JDAM
Boeing delivered the first production Joint Direct Attack Munition to the Department of Defense at its St. Charles, Missouri assembly facility, moving the low-cost GPS/INS tail-kit program into production.
Sources: Boeing first JDAM delivery
Combat debut in Operation Allied Force
JDAM performance was demonstrated operationally during Operation Allied Force, where U.S. aircraft dropped about 650 JDAMs and established the kit as an all-weather precision-strike weapon.
Sources: Navy JDAM fact file
1,000-pound JDAM reaches IOC
The Navy fact file records fiscal year 2002 initial operational capability for the 1,000-pound JDAM kit, the weight class represented by the GBU-32 and its Mk 83 or BLU-110 bomb body.
Sources: Navy JDAM fact file
GBU-32 appears over Afghanistan
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 from VFA-131 carried a GBU-32 JDAM during combat missions over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sources: Navy GBU-32 Afghanistan combat mission photo
GBU-32 recorded in 2003 Iraq War weapons data
Human Rights Watch's review of U.S. Central Command air-war data listed 768 GBU-32 JDAMs among U.S. air-delivered weapons used in the 2003 Iraq campaign.
Sources: HRW Off Target Iraq JDAM table
F-22 makes its first supersonic GBU-32 release
An F/A-22 Raptor released a 1,000-pound GBU-32 separation test vehicle above Mach 1, the first supersonic JDAM release from a Raptor and the first such release from an internal weapons bay.
Sources: Air Force supersonic JDAM release
High-altitude F-22 test scores a direct hit
A U.S. Air Force F-22 released a GPS-aided 1,000-pound Mk 83 JDAM at Mach 1.5 from 50,000 feet and 24 nautical miles, destroying a small target at White Sands Missile Range.
Sources: Lockheed Martin F-22 JDAM test
GBU-32 appears in Libya air campaign reporting
RAND's study of the Libya air campaign identifies GBU-32 JDAMs among Italian precision munitions used by NATO-led coalition aircraft during the 2011 First Libyan Civil War.
Sources: RAND Precision and Purpose Libya air campaign
F-22 unit sets GBU-32 records during OIR
Joint Base Langley-Eustis records the 27th Fighter Squadron setting F-22-unit records for GBU-32 JDAMs dropped during its 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve deployment.
Sources: JBLE 27th Fighter Squadron fact sheet
GBU-32 appears in Gaza heavy-bomb reporting
OHCHR later reported suspected Israeli use of GBU-32 bombs among six emblematic Gaza attacks reviewed from 9 October to 2 December 2023 during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Sources: OHCHR Gaza heavy-bombs report
Media
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition Videos
GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Advanced F-15 Weapons InventoryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the F-15 external carriage matrix listing the GBU-32 Mk-83 JDAM among available loadout options. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Powder River Training Complex Ellsworth Air Force Base, South DakotaPublisher: Ellsworth Air Force Base | Note: Supports the F-15E Strike Eagle carriage of two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs in the training document's loadout guidance. | Accessed: 2026-06-28About the F-35Publisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports the F-35 standard internal weapons load, including two GBU-32 JDAM guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Air Force JDAM Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports GBU-32 manufacturer background, JDAM guidance, GBU-32 specifications, contractor, launch weight, length, wingspan, range, unit cost, and service entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Boeing JDAM product cardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports Boeing background for the JDAM family and the 1,000-pound Mk 83 / BLU-110 pairing used by the GBU-32 variant. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikipedia JDAM articlePublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports JDAM family background, the guidance-kit framing, 1,000-pound variant designations, operational-use leads, and the GBU-55 / GBU-63 specifications table context. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Designation Systems JDAM pagePublisher: Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles | Note: Supports the 1,000-pound JDAM designation split among GBU-32, GBU-35, and later Navy GBU-32(V)2/B naming. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Boeing Laser JDAM product cardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports Laser JDAM family background, GPS/INS guidance with a DSU-38 laser sensor, and the moving, relocatable, and maritime target set. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Boeing JDAM-ER product cardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports JDAM-ER wing-kit background, extended-range family context, and aircraft-interface continuity from standard JDAM. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Boeing first JDAM deliveryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the June 1998 first production JDAM delivery milestone and Boeing production background. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Navy JDAM fact filePublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports JDAM Operation Allied Force use, Navy first-kit timing, 1,000-pound JDAM fiscal year 2002 IOC, and GBU-32 dimensions and performance context. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Air Force supersonic JDAM releasePublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the July 2005 F/A-22 supersonic GBU-32 release and internal-weapons-bay test milestone. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Lockheed Martin F-22 JDAM testPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports the May 2006 high-altitude, supersonic F-22 JDAM direct-hit test involving a 1,000-pound Mk 83 JDAM. | Accessed: 2026-06-22OHCHR Gaza heavy-bombs reportPublisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | Note: In the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, OHCHR reported suspected Israeli use of GBU-32 bombs in Gaza attacks from 9 October to 2 December 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Navy GBU-32 Afghanistan combat mission photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, U.S. Navy caption evidence says VFA-131 fielded a GBU-32 on an F/A-18 conducting combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-06-28NHHC John F. Kennedy historyPublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: In the 2003 Iraq War, NHHC records an F/A-18C using GBU-32 guided bombs against anti-Iraqi positions during John F. Kennedy carrier air-wing operations. | Accessed: 2026-06-28HRW Off Target Iraq JDAM tablePublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: In the 2003 Iraq War, HRW's review of U.S. Central Command data listed 768 GBU-32 JDAMs used by U.S. forces in the 2003 campaign. | Accessed: 2026-06-28JBLE 27th Fighter Squadron fact sheetPublisher: Joint Base Langley-Eustis | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: In 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, Joint Base Langley-Eustis says the 27th Fighter Squadron dropped GBU-32 JDAMs from F-22s during its 2017 deployment. | Accessed: 2026-06-28F-22 adapts to OIR conflict, 'Cleared Hot' in Iraq, SyriaPublisher: U.S. Air Forces Central | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: In 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve, AFCENT described F-22 close-air-support and precision-strike missions in Iraq and Syria involving GBU-32 JDAM attacks. | Accessed: 2026-07-01RAND Precision and Purpose Libya air campaignPublisher: RAND Corporation | Note: In the 2011 First Libyan Civil War, RAND's Libya air-campaign study identifies GBU-32 JDAMs among Italian precision munitions used by NATO-led coalition aircraft and describes AV-8B and Tornado IDS loadout context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01F-22 dropping GBU-32 photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and license context for the primary image showing a GBU-32 release photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20GBU-32 JDAM 1,000-lb SVGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and license context for the GBU-32 diagram image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20US Navy GBU-32 magazine photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and license context for the shipboard GBU-32 magazine photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20US Navy GBU-32 loading photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and license context for the deck loading photo of GBU-32 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-20B-52 JDAM loading preparation photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and public-domain U.S. Air Force provenance for a JDAM loading-preparation image that illustrates bomber-scale JDAM carriage context. | Accessed: 2026-06-22RAAF JDAM construction photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and public-domain U.S. Air Force provenance for a coalition armament technician constructing a JDAM, illustrating the guidance-kit and bomb-body assembly concept. | Accessed: 2026-06-22JDAM family renderingPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and public-domain U.S. Air Force provenance for a JDAM family rendering showing kits fitted to Mk 84, BLU-109, Mk 83, and Mk 82 bomb bodies. | Accessed: 2026-06-28US Navy JDAM assembly photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Commons file page and public-domain U.S. Navy provenance for ordnance handlers assembling JDAM bombs aboard USS Constellation. | Accessed: 2026-06-28NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact FilePublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports AV-8B Harrier II carriage of GBU-32 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II completes simulated defensive combat air patrol with live AIM-9X missilePublisher: U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports F-35B carriage of GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions during the defensive combat air patrol rehearsal. | Accessed: 2026-06-28