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The increased use of Joint Direct Attack Munitions against the Iraqi
insurgency is creating a shortage of such precision-guided weaponry for the
U.S. military.
The shortage is the result of the campaign against Sunni insurgency strongholds
in the Anbar province, the Middle East Newsline reports. The military faced
similar concerns in November 2004 after the offensive in Fallujah.
The JDAMs are used to convert bombs that range from 500 to 2,000 pounds into
precision guided weapons. They are used where collateral damage is a concern
or to penetrate concrete bunkers 4 to 6 feet thick.
The newest JDAM weapon in the Marine Corps arsenal is the 500-pound GBU-38,
which has become the preferred precision guided munitions for fixed wing aircraft
in the urban close air support environment, the report said.
Officials said it produces the smallest amount of collateral damage and can
be used in all weather conditions.
