Raytheon-Built Small Diameter Bomb Hits Land Targets for Demo; Taylor Lawrence Comments

Raytheon has demonstrated its precision-guided glide bomb during a series of flight tests for the U.S. Air Force.

The Small Diameter Bomb II was made to detect, track and destroy stationary land targets using a tri-mode seeker technology, Raytheon said Thursday.

“Acquiring stationary targets with the same seeker that can identify and track moving targets demonstrates the dynamic capability this new weapon brings to the warfighter,” said Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president.

The SDB II system is designed to engage targets from more than 40 nautical miles of range and warfighters are able to change targets through datalink-transmitted updates.

Raytheon is set to begin low rate initial production of the Small Diameter Bomb II following the final phase of development.

The Defense Department has invested more than $700 million in the SDB II program, Raytheon says.