Raytheon and the Air Force completed a series of flight tests of the Small Diameter Bomb II, according to the company. The munition, using upgraded hardware and electronics, “successfully acquired and engaged several stationary targets,” states Raytheon’s June 26 release. These tests showcased the ability of the bomb’s tri-mode seeker “to acquire, track, engage, and destroy both stationary and moving targets in adverse weather,” said John O’Brien, the company’s SDB II program director. “Upcoming live-fire tests will prove the end-to-end capability of SDB II and will demonstrate the program’s readiness to progress to system verification review and milestone C, clearing the way for low-rate initial production,” he said. The bomb has a range of more than 40 nautical miles, states the release. (See also SDB II Scores Hits in Flight Tests.)
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…