Monica Jackson
Raytheon has finished the development testing phase for its Small Diameter Bomb II technology and started integrating the weapon on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet planes.
The company said Thursday fighter pilots dropped and assessed 44 SDB II units to destroy maneuvering targets during the test.
“SDB II can eliminate a wider range of targets with fewer aircraft, reducing the pilot’s time in harm’s way,†said Mike Jarrett, vice president of air warfare systems at Raytheon.
The bomb demonstrated compatibility with the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft and third-party control via a data link, Raytheon added.
Raytheon expects its SDB II program for the U.S. Air Force to complete government confidence tests this year.
Production of lot 2 bombs are now underway, the company noted.
