Teams led by Boeing and Raytheon have submitted their proposals for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Air Force’s small diameter bomb II program. The Air Force is expected to choose the winner next spring to complete development of the 250-pound-class air-dropped weapon system and then supply thousands of these bombs, which are designed to defeat moving surface targets in all weather conditions. “The Boeing SDB II solution builds on our success with SDB Increment I, and we’re confident it will be the weapon of choice for new and existing military platforms,” said Debra Rub, Boeing weapons programs vice president, in a release Nov. 6. Raytheon spokesman Mike Nachshen told the Daily Report Monday, “With a form-factored integrated seeker that is in use in other programs, and an overall demonstrated technical readiness level 6, Raytheon is well positioned [to] provide the warfighter an ideal solution.”
China thinks it will be able to invade Taiwan by 2027 and has developed a technology edge in many key areas—but it is artificial intelligence that may be the decisive factor should conflict erupt, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.