Smart Bombs Score Another Hit In Extended Range Tests

>A close-up of the underside of the Australian-developed Extended Range wing kit, developed and tested as a joint Government & Industry Programme between the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and Hawker de Havilland. (Australian DoD photo)The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, today announced the successful testing of the Joint Direct Attack Munition - Extended Range (JDAM-ER) weapon which will enable the RAAF to deploy strike weapons more safely and effectively.>> The JDAM-ER is a conventional JDAM, enhanced with an Australian-designed wing kit, based on technology licensed from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).>> This round of testing builds on the initial proving of the wing attachment in August 2006 under the Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program managed by DSTO, Mr Snowdon said.>> DSTO developed the gliding mechanism in a wing attachment that enables the 500-pound JDAM weapon to accurately find long-range targets, giving the launch aircraft a fire-and-forget capability at a safe standoff distance, well out of harms way from enemy threats on the ground.>> The JDAM-ER wing kit was developed by Boeings Hawker de Havilland subsidiary from DSTOs original technology called Kerkanya (an Aboriginal word for Kestrel Hawk).>> The recent tests, conducted at the Woomera Test Facility in South Australia by the Aerospace Operational Support Group on Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, demonstrated further performance enhancements of the system.