The Air Force has certified the Small Diameter Bomb is ready to start operational test and evaluation, after a year of development testing by the Air Armament Center, Eglin AFB, Fla. “Team Eglin,” according to Thomas Robillard, director of AAC’s air-to-ground munitions systems wing, rose to a challenge by the Air Force Chief of Staff, enabling the program “to exceed schedule and performance expectations.” Small bomb OT&E will continue until spring 2006. USAF plans to equip F-15E fighters at RAF Lakenheath, Britain, with the first operational SDBs.
Today’s armament maintainers are tasked with performing flightline (O-Level) maintenance with an assortment of legacy test sets that greatly limit the ability to quickly and efficiently verify armament system readiness, diagnose failures, and ultimately return the aircraft to full mission...