The testers at Edwards AFB, Calif., have begun integration testing for the use of the Small Diameter Bomb with the F-22 Raptor. The new stealth fighter can accommodate four SDBs and its BRU-61 carriage in each weapon bay for a total of eight small bombs and two Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles. Boeing flight test engineer Jeff Randolph, heading the SDB program at Edwards, says the 250-pound SDB is more practical for use in urban environments than older larger bombs.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
