Boeing and Lockheed Martin made their teaming arrangement for the next increment of the Small Diameter Bomb program official Wednesday. Raytheon has announced its intent to compete for the small bomb prize. (DR, 09/30/05) There could be other interested parties, simply waiting for USAF to issue the Phase 2 request for proposal. It is due for release late this month. The actual competition would follow in the spring.
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.