Lockheed Martin has won an $83 million contract from the US Air Force for full rate production of nearly 6,000 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) tail kits. Boeing, meanwhile, has received a $236 million contract for full rate production of 11,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits.
Lockheed Martin has now received orders for about 10,000 WCMD kits, a quarter of the USAF's intended buy of 40,000 units. The company expects a contract for field installation of the kits before the end of this year.
WCMD is married to tactical munitions dispensers carrying the CBU-87 combined effects munition, the CBU-89 Gator Mine and the CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon. WCMD eliminates wind drift effects by using GPS satellite navigation.
The USAF has previously ordered 16,000 JDAM kits. The kits are mated to Mk84 900kg (1,000lb) gravity bombs and BLU-109 900kg hard target penetrator weapons, giving them precision guidance. JDAM will also be used on 225kg Mk82 and 450kg Mk83 gravity bombs.
Source: Flight International
