So what makes JDAM and JDAM-ER different? Well, depending on the altitude of its release, JDAM can reach targets up to a distance of 15 miles, while the JDAM-ER extends this range with the wing kit. Upon released, the bomb’s wings of JDAM-ER unfold, enabling it to glide for up to 45 miles, which is three times the range of the original weapon. Boeing, the manufacturer of the weapon, claims that both the JDAM and JDAM-ER kits can convert ordinary bombs into precision-guided “smart” munitions that can perform effectively in harsh weather. These kits offer a cost-effective method of transforming unguided bombs into “fire and forget” weapons weighing 498 pounds, with the JDAM-ER kit having the additional capability of tripling the range of the original bomb.