Raytheon has successfully completed its first post-contract award control test vehicle flight for the US Air Force’s (USAF) small diameter bomb (SDB) II.
During testing, an F-15E fighter jet released the SDB II in flight, which safely separated from the aircraft and performed a series of pre-programmed manoeuvres.
Raytheon’s SDB II programme director Tom White said, “This test demonstrates the high performance of the SDB II design and validates the aerodynamic performance mold used in our simulations.”
The SDB II is an air-launched, precision-strike stand-off weapon that enables the warfighter to destroy moving and fixed targets in all weather conditions.
The weapon incorporates improved tri-mode seeker including millimetre-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semiactive laser and a highly lethal warhead.
