Dan Jaspering, Boeing SDB program manager, and Jim Pappafotis, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control advanced programs director, said there are no lingering legal issues between the two companies over the earlier Small Diameter Bomb contract. Lockheed had sued to have the original program re-competed in light of the Darleen Druyun affair; last fall, however, the two companies teamed to compete for SDB II. There are no requirements that the second weapon be similar to the first version of the SDB, only that it fit on the special bomb rack designed for it. Jaspering said the weapon likely would be assembled at Boeing’s St. Charles, La., facility if the Boeing-Lockheed Martin team wins the contract.
Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test
March 24, 2023
The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon on March 13 fell short of a fully successful test, but the Air Force isn’t saying what went wrong with the Lockheed Martin-built hypersonic missile. The defense giant's Missiles and Fire Control division recently said the ARRW is "ready…