Munitions

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition

Also known as
  • GBU-38
  • GBU-38/B
  • GBU-38 JDAM
  • GBU-38 Mk-82 JDAM
  • GBU-38 Mk 82 JDAM
  • GBU-38(V)1/B
  • 500-pound JDAM

GBU-38 Mk-82 JDAM is Boeing's 500-pound GPS/INS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition, turning the Mk 82 bomb body into an all-weather precision air-to-surface weapon. U.S. Air Force sources list the GBU-38 at 92.6 inches long, 558 pounds at launch, a 14-inch wingspan, up to 15 miles range, and 5-meter-or-less CEP when GPS data is available, while combat reporting documents F-15E, F-16, B-1B, and MQ-9 employment in Afghanistan, Iraq, and 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve.

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, Munitions
Image source: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Boeing
Type
500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb
Designer
Boeing
Designed
1990s JDAM development; 500-pound GBU-38 fielded after the original GBU-31 and GBU-32 classes
Unit cost
Approximately $22,000 per tailkit (fiscal 2007 dollars)
Produced
1999-present

Specifications

Primary function
Guided air-to-surface weapon
Bomb body
Mk 82 500-pound class bomb
Length
92.6 in (235.2 cm)
Launch weight
558 lb (253.6 kg)
Wingspan
14 in (35.6 cm)
Guidance system
GPS/INS
Accuracy
5 m or less CEP with GPS data available; 30 m or less CEP under stated GPS-denied conditions
Range
Up to 15 miles
Tailkit cost
Approximately $22,000 in fiscal 2007 dollars
Variants

JDAM designations follow the bomb body and guidance-kit configuration. GBU-38 is the 500-pound Mk 82 GPS/INS member, with adjacent GBU-31 and GBU-32 records covering heavier standard JDAM classes and GBU-54 / JDAM-ER records covering laser-guided or extended-range 500-pound derivatives.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound dual-mode guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound dual-mode laser/GPS JDAM

Boeing's Laser JDAM product card describes a 500-pound Laser JDAM configuration that adds terminal laser homing to the JDAM guidance package.

Sources: Boeing Laser JDAM Product Card

Mk-82 JDAM-ER, Extended-range GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsMk-82 JDAM-ER500-pound extended-range JDAM derivative

Boeing's JDAM product card describes JDAM-ER as an extended-range variant with a wing kit that gives the family more than 40 nautical miles of reach.

Sources: Boeing JDAM Product Card

GBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kit, MunitionsGBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition1,000-pound standard JDAM family member

The Air Force fact sheet places GBU-32 in the same JDAM family as the GBU-38 but in the 1,000-pound bomb-body class.

Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

GBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound JDAM bomb, MunitionsGBU-31(V)1/B2,000-pound standard JDAM family member

The Air Force fact sheet lists GBU-31 as the 2,000-pound JDAM class, adjacent to the lighter GBU-38 500-pound variant.

Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

Carrier Aircraft

The GBU-38 appears in both fixed-wing fighter and bomber loadouts and in MQ-9 Reaper employment after the remotely piloted aircraft gained JDAM carriage.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
MQ-9 Reaper, Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsMQ-9 ReaperUnmanned combat aerial vehicle

Air Combat Command reported a Block 5 MQ-9 Reaper dropping a live GBU-38 in combat after integration with the aircraft.

Sources: New Block 5 MQ-9 Debuts in Combat

F-16 Fighting Falcon, Multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsF-16 Fighting FalconFighter aircraft

Coalition airpower reporting documented an F-16 using a GBU-38 against a roadside improvised explosive device during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sources: DVIDS Airpower Summary September 5

F-15 family fighter aircraft, Fighter aircraft family, Aircraft & UAVsF-15 family fighter aircraftMultirole fighter aircraft

Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory lists GBU-38 Mk-82 JDAM in the aircraft's external carriage matrix.

Sources: Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory

B-2 Spirit, Low-observable strategic heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-2 SpiritStealth bomber

Air Force Research Laboratory's QUICKSINK photo shows GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being loaded onto a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during maritime-defense testing.

Sources: Air Force Demonstrates Low-Cost Maritime Defense Capability with QUICKSINK

B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-1B LancerSupersonic bomber

Coalition airpower reporting documented a B-1B dropping GBU-38 bombs on improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

Sources: DVIDS Airpower Summary September 5

B-52 Stratofortress, Long-range heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVsB-52 StratofortressStrategic bomber

The Air Force fact sheet lists the B-52H among aircraft compatible with JDAM carriage.

Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier-based strike fighter

The Air Force fact sheet lists F/A-18C/D/E/F aircraft among JDAM-compatible carrier aircraft.

Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

A-10 Thunderbolt II, Close air support attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsA-10 Thunderbolt IIClose-air-support aircraft

Air & Space Forces Magazine lists A-10C integration for the GBU-31/32/38 JDAM family.

Sources: Air & Space Forces GBU-31/32/38 JDAM

Why the 500-pound class matters

The 500-pound GBU-38 gives aircraft a smaller JDAM option than the 1,000- and 2,000-pound classes while retaining GPS/INS precision guidance for fixed-coordinate targets.

Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38, Boeing JDAM Product Card

JDAM Family Position

GBU-38 is the 500-pound standard JDAM member. The adjacent family records below separate heavier bomb bodies, laser-guided 500-pound JDAMs, and wing-kit extended-range derivatives so readers do not have to treat every JDAM designation as the same bomb.

DesignationFamily roleCatalog link
GBU-38500-pound Mk 82 GPS/INS JDAMThis record
GBU-54500-pound Laser JDAM with terminal laser guidanceGBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound dual-mode guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-54 Laser JDAM
Mk-82 JDAM-ER500-pound JDAM-ER wing-kit derivativeMk-82 JDAM-ER, Extended-range GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsMk-82 JDAM-ER
GBU-321,000-pound standard JDAM classGBU-32 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, 1,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kit, MunitionsGBU-32 JDAM
GBU-31(V)1/B2,000-pound standard JDAM classGBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound JDAM bomb, MunitionsGBU-31(V)1 JDAM
Timeline

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition Key Events

  1. JDAM enters U.S. service

    The Air Force fact sheet dates JDAM service to 1999 and identifies Boeing as the contractor for the guidance-kit family.

    Sources: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38

  2. Combat use documented in Afghanistan and Iraq

    Coalition airpower reporting for September 5, 2007 recorded GBU-38 use by U.S. F-15E aircraft in Afghanistan and by B-1B and F-16 aircraft in Iraq.

    Sources: DVIDS Airpower Summary September 5

  3. MQ-9 Reaper gains GBU-38 employment

    Air Combat Command reported that the MQ-9 Reaper force had validated GBU-38 drops in training and was adding the munition to its operational weapons set.

    Sources: MQ-9 Reapers Add to Arsenal with First GBU-38 Drop

  4. Block 5 MQ-9 employs GBU-38 in combat

    Air Combat Command reported that a Block 5 MQ-9 sortie supporting Operation Inherent Resolve employed one GBU-38 and two Hellfires.

    Sources: New Block 5 MQ-9 Debuts in Combat

  5. QUICKSINK imagery shows B-2 GBU-38 loading

    Air Force Research Laboratory imagery showed GBU-38 JDAMs loaded on a B-2 Spirit during QUICKSINK maritime-defense testing.

    Sources: Air Force Demonstrates Low-Cost Maritime Defense Capability with QUICKSINK

Media

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition Videos

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition Images

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configurationThe GBU-31 JDAM is the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition configuration built around Boeing's GPS/INS tail kit and either a Mk 84-class general-purpose bomb body or a BLU-109 hard-target penetrator body. U.S. military and Federal Register sources distinguish the KMU-556 Mk 84 configuration from the KMU-557 BLU-109 configuration, while direct conflict-use reporting traces GBU-31/JDAM employment from Kosovo and Afghanistan to Iraq, Yemen, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Israel-Hamas war, 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.

Sources

Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-31/32/38Publisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports GBU-38 specifications, manufacturer background, service context, unit cost, image provenance, and the relationship between GBU-31, GBU-32, and GBU-38 JDAM classes. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Boeing JDAM Product CardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports Boeing manufacturer context, JDAM family framing, GPS-aided inertial guidance, standard JDAM range, and JDAM-ER family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Boeing Laser JDAM Product CardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports GBU-54 Laser JDAM as the 500-pound dual-mode laser/GPS derivative related to the GBU-38 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-02DVIDS Airpower Summary September 5Publisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports direct conflict-use claims for the 2001 War in Afghanistan and 2003 Iraq War by documenting GBU-38 employment in Afghanistan and Iraq in September 2007. | Accessed: 2026-07-02MQ-9 Reapers Add to Arsenal with First GBU-38 DropPublisher: Air Combat Command | Note: Supports MQ-9 GBU-38 training validation, carriage background, and the official video selection for MQ-9 and GBU-38 integration. | Accessed: 2026-07-02New Block 5 MQ-9 Debuts in CombatPublisher: Air Combat Command | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports direct Operation Inherent Resolve conflict use by documenting a Block 5 MQ-9 sortie that employed one GBU-38 and two Hellfires in combat. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Breaking Defense MQ-9 GBU-38 Combat DropPublisher: Breaking Defense | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports the 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve conflict-use row by tying the MQ-9 GBU-38 combat drop to the Iraq/Syria anti-ISIS campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-02DVIDS MQ-9 Reaper Adds to Arsenal VideoPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports video metadata and the official Creech Air Force Base video selection for MQ-9 and GBU-38 integration. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Air Force Demonstrates Low-Cost Maritime Defense Capability with QUICKSINKPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports direct carriage evidence and image provenance: Air Force imagery shows GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being loaded onto a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during QUICKSINK maritime-defense testing. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Advanced F-15 Weapons InventoryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the F-15 external carriage matrix listing GBU-38 Mk-82 JDAM. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Air & Space Forces GBU-31/32/38 JDAMPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports JDAM family integration context, accuracy figures, and the GBU-38 warhead class within the GBU-31/32/38 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-02