Defence Trials

Bomb Improvement Trials

Bomb Improvement Trials using two F/A-18 Hornet aircraft operated by the ARDU Flight Test Squadron were undertaken at Woomera in July/August 2006 under project AIR 5409. The Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) trials were performed to verify integration of Boeing’s GBU 31/32 JDAM with the F/A-18 and prove overall airworthiness.

The trials also included further testing of JDAM-ER under project AIR 5425. Two JDAM-ERs were released from the Hornets flying at 20,000 feet altitude and Mach 0.7, and glided over 40km, striking their targets with an accuracy of 1.5m. The purpose of the trials, supported by Boeing and Hawker de Havilland, was to validate the performance of the GPS JDAM-ER guidance kits which will transform the RAAF’s existing inventory of general purpose and penetrator bombs into “smart bombs” having vastly improved range and accuracy.