Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Military Space News .




MILTECH
Raytheon, USAF complete Small Diameter Bomb II fit check on F-35 aircraft
by Staff Writers
Eglin AFB FL (SPX) Jan 23, 2013


File image: GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II.

The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon have completed a fit check of the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. During the test, four SDB II shapes were loaded into an F-35 weapon bay alongside an Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. Sweeps of the inboard and outboard bay doors verified there was adequate clearance between the two weapons.

"Completion of the fit check is critical because it further validates SDB II's compatibility with the F-35 and keeps SDB II on track for a smooth transition to production," said Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Air Warfare Systems.

"Once fielded, SDB II will provide the warfighter with an unprecedented capability to precisely strike moving targets in adverse weather conditions and through battlefield obscurants."

SDB II is designed to be carried by a host of 4th- and 5th-generation aircraft, including the U.S. Air Force F-15E; the U.S. Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, F-35B; and the U.S. Navy F-35C. The GBU-53/B is also compatible with the Air Force F-35A, F/A-22 and F-16C/D, as well as the Navy F/A-18E/F.

SDB II can hit targets from a range of greater than 40 nautical miles. It has a powerful warhead capable of destroying armored targets, yet keeps collateral damage to a minimum through a small explosive footprint. It is highly accurate and offers warfighters the flexibility to change targets, due to a datalink that passes mid-flight updates to the weapon.

SDB II's integrated tri-mode seeker, which is built in Raytheon's automated tri-mode seeker factory, fuses millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal, which enables the weapon to seek and destroy targets, despite weather conditions.

+ The Department of Defense has validated SDB II as a weapon that meets a critical warfighter need.

+ SDB II will hit moving targets in adverse weather from standoff ranges.

+ SDB II employs an uncooled tri-mode seeker.

+ The DOD has invested more than $700 million in the SDB II program.

.


Related Links
Raytheon
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








MILTECH
Northrop Grumman to Provide Hand Held Precision Targeting Devices to US Army
Apopka FL (SPX) Jan 16, 2013
The U.S. Army has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to supply Hand Held Precision Targeting Devices (HHPTDs). The HHPTD is an advanced targeting system weighing less than 5.5 pounds and providing a greater degree of precision than previous systems. To supply the accurate information needed on the modern battlefield, the device incorporates a celestial navigation module. Devices such a ... read more


MILTECH
NATO Patriot missiles operational in Turkey at weekend

Israel upgrades missile-killer Iron Dome

Protest in Ankara against Patriot missile deployment

German, Dutch Patriot missiles arrive in Turkey: NATO

MILTECH
Raytheon awarded contract for HARM upgrade

Short-range ballistic missile again fired in Syria: NATO

Iran develops new missile launcher

Thatcher 'warned France to cut off Exocets in Falklands war'

MILTECH
Sagetech, ING Robotic Aviation Demonstrate "Sense and Avoid" Capabilities of UAV's

Northrop Grumman, Cassidian Fly First Sensor-Equipped Euro Hawk

TerraLuma Selects Headwall's Micro Hyperspec for UAV Applications

Elbit Systems to Supply Long-Range Observation Systems to the Israeli Ministry of Defense

MILTECH
Insights from the SIA DoD Commercial SATCOM Users' Workshop

Boeing to Upgrade Combat Survivor Evader Locator Radios, Base Stations

NATO member orders Falcon III radios

Lockheed Martin Completes Work on US Navy's Second MUOS Satellite

MILTECH
Raytheon, USAF complete Small Diameter Bomb II fit check on F-35 aircraft

Lockheed Martin Receives USAF Approval For Sniper Pod Full-Rate Production Under ATP-SE Program

Operators use JLENS for IED warfare simulation

Northrop Grumman to Provide Hand Held Precision Targeting Devices to US Army

MILTECH
Britain to axe up to 5,300 army jobs

US military to lift ban on women in combat

India and Israel deepen defense ties

Rheinmetall wins 280 mn euros in contracts in Kuwait, Asia

MILTECH
Japanese PM holds out olive branch to China

Russia ready for seeking a compromise with NATO on air defense

Obama issues inaugural call for unity, equality

Outside View: What Obama can learn

MILTECH
New Research Gives Insight into Graphene Grain Boundaries

Chemistry resolves toxic concerns about carbon nanotubes

Engineer making rechargeable batteries with layered nanomaterials

New nanotech fiber: Robust handling, shocking performance




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement