The Small Diameter Bomb II will first equip the F-15E and then the Joint Strike Fighter, circa 2014. The Air Force eventually wants to equip the F-22 with the new bomb, but officials were not ready to release a timeframe. The Navy will also use SDB II, and part of the requirement calls for a seeker that can find targets at sea. The Air Force is running the program for both services and wants to bring the weapon in for an initial cost of $87,000 a round, at quantities yet to be determined.
The advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter remains on track to fly in the next two years, the senior Air Force acquisition officer overseeing the program said Feb. 25, as the service continues on its ambitious schedule to debut the air superiority-focused fighter by 2028—only three years after the contract was awarded…