The US multi-service United Operational Test Team (UOTT) has conducted the first ever dual, external release of a GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) from an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the US Air Force announced on 30 January 2025.
The release was conducted using an F-35C from the US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 (VX-9) Detachment at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The GBU-54 is a 500 lb (227 kg) freefall bomb that uses that uses a combination of Global Positioning System and laser guidance to accurately engage and destroy static and moving targets.
The integration and successful test of the LJDAM on the F-35 marks a key milestone in the continuing effort to fully integrate the LJDAM on all versions of the F-35, making a valuable addition to the F-35’s air-to-surface munitions catalogue.
The test, known as a weapon delivery event (WDE), was also designed to stress the aircraft’s stores management system, the software responsible for managing the weapons loaded on the aircraft, and to determine how it reacts to releasing multiples of these weapons in quick succession.
Two LJDAMs were released against a remote-controlled high-speed moving target (HSMT). The bombs were guided to the target via the onboard laser housed inside the F-35’s Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS). This is the first sensor suite to combine forward-looking infrared (FLIR), infrared search and track, and a combat laser, providing improved situational awareness over legacy sensor pods to deliver GPS and laser-guided munitions.
Consistent with the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s responsibility of testing system effectiveness in operationally relevant environments, the weapons were released onto the HSMT with the help of a Joint Tactical Air Controller, simulating a common scenario that can be expected on the battlefield.
“Testing the safe separation and guidance of the weapon offers valuable insight into the usability of the F-35’s strike capability,” the air force stated in a press release. “The successful completion of this test demonstrates the F-35’s ability to accurately engage targets in a dynamic and challenging environment and highlights the advanced capabilities of the EOTS system.”
“The capability to carry LJDAMs externally will greatly increase the air-to-surface strike capability of the aircraft,” said Commander Michael ‘Squintz’ Procelli, the pilot of the F-35C. “This WDE expands the Joint Strike Fighter’s flexibility when countering asymmetrical threats with more kinetic options.”
