Raythe
on announced Tuesday that it has conducted the first control test vehicle flight of its GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II design during a test at Eglin AFB, Fla. An Air Force F-15E released the GBU-53/B in flight. After safely separating from the aircraft, the weapon deployed its wings, performed a series of preprogrammed maneuvers, and flew to a pre-designated position, thereby meeting all of its primary test objectives, the company said. Raytheon is competing against a Lockheed Martin-Boeing team for the rights to supply SDB II to the Air Force and Navy under a USAF-led acquisition program. The new weapon is being designed to attack moving targets precisely in all types of weather conditions. It will build upon the ability of the Boeing-built SDB I to strike fixed and stationary objects. The Air Force expects to field SDB II around 2014, initially on the F-15E, which already carries SDB Is, and then on the F-35 and numerous other platforms. For example, it will be an important arrow in the B-2’s quiver.
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.
