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.
Advancements in commercial space technology could make President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense network far more likely to succeed than the failed “Star Wars” strategic umbrella initiative of the 1980s, U.S. Space Command’s top general said May 22....