The Air Force’s Small Diameter Bomb II program has advanced to the point that is it ready for low-rate initial production, announced manufacturer Raytheon. Reaching the Milestone C threshold, as it is known, came after the Air Force and company completed the decision briefing on the bomb, states Monday’s release. “The Milestone C decision enables us to begin putting this game-changing capability into the warfighters’ hands,” said Col. Kevin Hickman, SDB II program manager. “Achieving Milestone C marks the hard work of the US government and Raytheon teams to verify that we meet or exceed the requirements necessary for a Lot 1 production decision,” added Jim Sweetman, Raytheon’s SDB II program director. The next step before LRIP is for the Pentagon to issue an acquisition decision memorandum validating that the bomb may continue to production. SDB II is designed to attack moving and stationary ground targets in all weather conditions from standoff ranges. (See also SDB II Clears Live Testing.)
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.