Moving Target: Raytheon’s GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II
Jul 26, 2017 04:58 UTC DII
Latest updates[?]: The United States Air Force has awarded a $75 million contract external link to Raytheon to conduct technical work on the GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb (SBD) II guided air-dropped weapon system. Work will be conducted at Tuscon, Ariz., and covers engineering, manufacturing development and production work for the SDB II. Completion time is expected by July 25, 2024. The all-weather munition is carried on USAF-operated F-15E, F/A-18E/F, and F-35B/C aircraft.
GBU-53 rendering
GBU-53/B, aka. SDB-II
The 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb gives American fighters the ability to carry more high-precision GPS-guided glide bombs, without sacrificing punching power against fortified targets. The initial award to Boeing was controversial, and the Darlene Druyun corruption scandal ultimately forced a re-compete of the Increment II development program. Whereas the initial GBU-39 SDB-I offered GPS-guided accuracy in a small and streamlined package, the goal of the GBU-53 SDB-II competition was a bomb that could hit moving targets in any weather, using a combination of guidance modes.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cat/ordnance-guns/bombs-smart/
