gbu-31

[dean spirkoff]

are gbu-31's laser guided or gps guided

[achterkirch]

Can be just gps guided or both. Depends what version and time period.

[Pete]

GPS. Laser guided 2000lbs bombs are GBU-10's and GBU-24's. Then there are bombs who combine laser and GPS, in case of the 2000lbs class, that would be the GBU-50 (sometimes called EGBU-10). These look like GBU-10's, but have some extra bits strapped to them and GPS recievers on the nose.

[Joe Hegedus]

Pete, achterkirch had it right. There are GPS-only JDAMS, and there are also JDAMs that have laser guidance capability. Laser JDAMs have a sensor that fits in the nose of the bomb body to track the laser, much smaller than the GCU on an LGB. They look like a JDAM with a slightly larger nose plug that looks a lot like a proximity sensor nose. These are typically seen on the 500-lb. flavor known as a GBU-54 but there is also the 2000-lb variety, GBU-56. I don't know if there is a 1000-lb one or not.

[Pete]

Ah, I knew about the GBU-54, but not about the GBU-56. And since he asked about the GBU-31, I didn't mention the 500lbs versions.

Thanks for setting me straight.

[Joe Hegedus]

's OK. A lot of people may be unaware that Laser JDAM have different nomenclatures from standard JDAM.

[Horrido]

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090123-F-1234P-014.jpg

[Devilleader501]

Nice shot Horrido.