SDB II Fit Check on F-35

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Air Force and Raytheon officials completed a fit check of the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II on the F-35 strike fighter at Eglin AFB, Fla., announced the company. Four SDB II shapes were loaded into an F-35 weapons bay next to an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, with sweeps of the inboard and outboard bay doors confirming adequate clearance between the two weapons, states Raytheon’s Jan. 22 release. “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’s 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,” he added. Among the Air Force platforms with which SDB II will be compatible are the F-15E, F-16C/D, F-22, and F-35, according to the company.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org