Munitions

GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM

Also known as
  • GBU-56 Laser JDAM
  • GBU-56 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition
  • GBU-56 LJDAM
  • GBU-56(V)/B
  • Mk-84 Laser JDAM
  • 2,000-pound Laser JDAM

The GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM is Boeing's 2,000-pound Laser JDAM configuration for the Mk 84 and related 2,000-pound bomb bodies. It combines JDAM GPS/INS guidance with a laser terminal seeker for moving, relocatable, and maritime targets, while public Air Force and Navy material places it in training, production, and Navy penetrator-replacement context rather than directly documented conflict use.

GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM, 2,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions
Image source: DVIDS GBU-56 photo, image 1 of 2
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Boeing
Type
2,000-pound laser-guided bomb
Service note
2010s-present
Designer
Boeing

Specifications

Warhead
Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb body; Navy material also describes a BLU-109 penetrator application
Guidance
GPS/INS JDAM guidance with a laser terminal seeker
Weapon weight
2,120 lb for the U.S. Air Force configuration; 2,135 lb for the U.S. Navy configuration
Length
151.7 in (3.85 m)
Diameter
25.3 in (64.3 cm)
Range
Glides up to 15 miles (24 km)
Guidance section
KMU-556 guided bomb guidance section documented on GBU-56C assembly imagery
Target set
Moving, relocatable, and maritime targets
Laser seeker notes
Boeing's product card describes a DSU-38 laser sensor; later U.S. government sale notices describe DSU-42/B or DSU-40 laser-sensor configurations for GBU-56-related kits
Variants

Public sources describe GBU-56 as the 2,000-pound member of the Laser JDAM family, adjacent to smaller Laser JDAM and baseline JDAM configurations.

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

Boeing describes the GBU-54 as the 500-pound Laser JDAM that preceded the 2,000-pound GBU-56 integration effort.

Sources: Boeing Laser JDAM product card

GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, MunitionsGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)2,000-pound GPS/INS JDAM baseline

Federal Register sale notices describe DSU-40 or DSU-42 laser-sensor hardware as turning a standard GBU-31 JDAM into a GBU-56 Laser JDAM.

Sources: Federal Register UAE Laser JDAM upgrade notice

Carrier Aircraft

Public carrier evidence is strongest for F-15 carriage and F-15E test activity; the links here avoid treating general JDAM combat use as GBU-56 conflict use.

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

Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory explicitly lists the GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM in the aircraft's external carriage matrix.

Sources: Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory

F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-15E Strike EagleStrike fighter aircraft

DVIDS identified an F-15E Strike Eagle from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron taxiing for an April 2023 GBU-56C test mission at Nellis Air Force Base.

Sources: DVIDS F-15E GBU-56C test mission

Design Notes

Boeing's Laser JDAM material frames the GBU-56 as the 2,000-pound member of the family, adding a laser terminal sensor to JDAM GPS/INS guidance for moving, relocatable, and maritime targets.

Base bomb

Mk 84 2,000-pound bomb body in Boeing's product-card specification, with Navy material also identifying a BLU-109 penetrator application.

Guidance

JDAM GPS/INS navigation with a laser terminal-seeker option for the final attack phase.

Sensor designations

Public sources do not use one uniform sensor designation: Boeing's product card names DSU-38, while later government sale and acquisition records name DSU-42/B and DSU-40 in GBU-56-related contexts.

Timeline

GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM Key Events

  1. Boeing announces first Mk 84 Laser JDAM flight tests

    Boeing reported that two inert 2,000-pound Mk 84 Laser JDAM weapons were released from an Air Force F-16 during the first flight tests at Eglin Air Force Base.

  2. Boeing product card describes 2,000-pound Laser JDAM integration

    Boeing's Laser JDAM product card described integration of the laser sensor onto the 2,000-pound Mk 84 JDAM, to become the GBU-56, as nearing completion.

  3. Selected Acquisition Report covers GBU-56 laser-sensor production

    The FY 2020 JDAM Selected Acquisition Report listed Navy-led Laser JDAM sensor procurement for GBU-54 and GBU-56 and noted Air Force GBU-56 test assets.

  4. 57th Munitions Squadron builds GBU-56C weapons at Nellis

    DVIDS imagery and video from Nellis Air Force Base documented 57th Munitions Squadron airmen assembling GBU-56C weapons for 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron tasking.

  5. AFCOMAC class assembles GBU-56 bombs

    The Air Force reported that AFCOMAC class 24-004 at Beale Air Force Base was the first class tasked with assembling GBU-56 bombs under an updated munitions curriculum.

  6. Federal Register publishes UAE GBU-56V1 and GBU-56V3 upgrade notice

    The notice described GBU-56V1 Laser JDAMs with KMU-556 tail kits, DSU-40 sensors, and Mk 84 bombs, plus GBU-56V3 Laser JDAMs with KMU-557 tail kits, DSU-42 sensors, and BLU-109 bombs.

Media

GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM Images

GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM, 2,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: DVIDS GBU-56 photo, image 1 of 2
GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM, 2,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: DVIDS GBU-56 photo, image 1 of 2
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-55 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition, Reserved 1,000-pound laser/GPS-guided bomb designation, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-55 Laser Joint Direct Attack MunitionReserved 1,000-pound laser/GPS-guided bomb designationThe GBU-55 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition is the reserved 1,000-pound Laser JDAM designation associated with the GBU-32 JDAM and Mk 83 or BLU-110 bomb-body class. Public sources describe the Laser JDAM concept as a Boeing GPS/INS JDAM fitted with a laser terminal seeker for moving or relocatable targets, while designation references treat GBU-55 as the 1,000-pound member between the 500-pound GBU-54 and 2,000-pound GBU-56 Laser JDAMs.
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.
GBU-31(V)3/B Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided hard-target penetrator bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31(V)3/B Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided hard-target penetrator bombThe GBU-31(V)3/B is the hard-target penetrator variant of the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, pairing a Boeing JDAM GPS/INS tail kit with the BLU-109 penetrator bomb body. Official U.S. sources describe its GPS/INS guidance, 2,115-pound launch-weight configuration, and 15-mile range class, while open-source munition and aviation reporting connect the BLU-109 GBU-31 JDAM lane to Israeli operations during 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-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound GPS/INS-guided bombGBU-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-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.

Sources

Boeing Laser JDAM product cardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM as Boeing's 2,000-pound Laser JDAM variant, including GPS/INS guidance, DSU-38 laser sensor language, the Mk 84 bomb body, published dimensions, weight, range, target set, and family relationship to GBU-54. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS GBU-56 photo, image 1 of 2Publisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the primary image URL and the Air Force training-context caption for the GBU-56 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition photo set at Beale Air Force Base in 2024. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS GBU-56 photo, image 2 of 2Publisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the second public image URL from the same Beale Air Force Base GBU-56 photo set. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS 57th MUNS GBU-56C assembly, 10 April 2023Publisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the third gallery image, public-domain image provenance, and the 57th Munitions Squadron GBU-56C assembly context at Nellis Air Force Base on April 10, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS GBU-56C KMU-556 guidance sectionPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the KMU-556 guided bomb guidance section being attached to a GBU-56C during the 57th Munitions Squadron assembly event at Nellis Air Force Base. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS F-15E GBU-56C test missionPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the F-15E Strike Eagle and 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron test-mission relationship for the GBU-56C at Nellis Air Force Base on April 21, 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Advanced F-15 Weapons InventoryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the F-15 external carriage matrix listing the GBU-56 Mk-84 Laser JDAM. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Boeing Mk 84 Laser JDAM flight testsPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the 2010 Mk 84 Laser JDAM flight-test milestone, F-16 release context, fixed/relocatable/moving target test scope, and Precision Laser Guidance Set background. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Beale AFCOMAC GBU-56 curriculum articlePublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the March 2024 AFCOMAC course context, the Air Force description of GBU-56 as its newest munition, and the first class tasked with assembling GBU-56 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-03U.S. Navy JDAM fact filePublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports Navy JDAM/LJDAM background, BLU-109 and Mk 84 payload context, Navy fighter-attack-aircraft integration context, and the Navy description of GBU-56 Laser JDAM for the BLU-109 penetrator. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Federal Register Korea precision guided munitions noticePublisher: Federal Register | Note: Supports the Republic of Korea proposed sale context, KMU-557 kits for GBU-31/GBU-56, DSU-42/B laser detector language, the description of turning a GBU-31 JDAM into a GBU-56 LJDAM, and Boeing as principal contractor. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Federal Register UAE Laser JDAM upgrade noticePublisher: Federal Register | Note: Supports the UAE upgrade notice for GBU-56V1 and GBU-56V3 Laser JDAMs, including DSU-40 sensors for Mk 84/BLU-117 bomb bodies and DSU-42 sensors for BLU-109 bomb bodies. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DVIDS GBU-56C assembly stringerPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports official public-domain video context for 57th Munitions Squadron airmen assembling a GBU-56C at Nellis Air Force Base on April 10, 2023; not used as a YouTube embed. | Accessed: 2026-07-03JDAM Selected Acquisition Report December 2018Publisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports JDAM-family aircraft integration context, Laser JDAM moving-target capability, Navy-led sensor procurement for GBU-54 and GBU-56, increased laser-sensor production, and Air Force GBU-56 DSU-40 test-asset language. | Accessed: 2026-07-03