The Air Force on Monday chose Raytheon to supply the small diameter bomb increment II system and awarded the company a $451 million contact to start engineering and manufacturing development. The company bested a Boeing-Lockheed Martin team vying to build the new munition, which is an air-launched, precision-strike standoff weapon designed to take out moving and fixed targets in all weather conditions. “Raytheon proved we can provide the warfighter a low-risk, affordable solution that meets their needs,” said Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president, in the company’s release. Raytheon’s design is designated the GBU-53/B. It features a seeker with millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared, and semiactive laser modes. Bomb deliveries are expected to begin in 2013. Air Force F-15Es and Marine Corps and Navy F-35s will be the initial platforms to carry SDB IIs. (See also DOD’s contract list for Aug. 9)
Air Force General Sentenced In Historic Court-Martial
June 30, 2024
A military judged sentenced an Air Force general on June 29 to a reprimand, restriction to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph for two months, and $10,000 forfeiture of pay per month for 6 months.