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Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition

July 19, 2006: The U.S. Air Force had another successful test of the LJDAM (Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition). The main difference between JDAM and LJDAM is the sensor unit. The GPS sensor on JDAM is replaced with a laser seeker sensor, turning the JDAM into the LJDAM. The aircraft dropping the bomb uses its laser designator to track the moving target, and the LFDAM bomb hits the moving target. Last year, an LJDAM hit a vehicle moving at 24 kilometers an hour. Last month, the latest version of LJDAM hit a vehicle moving at 40 kilometers an hour. Before the end of the year, LJDAM will be tested against a target moving at about 60 kilometers an hour. LJDAM is expected to enter service next year. It will be useful against enemy convoys of moving vehicles, since the smallest LJDAM uses a 500 pound bomb.