Test advancement for Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II

TUCSON, June 27 (UPI) -- Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II is further positioned to move to low-rate production following successful completion of flight tests.

In the tests by Raytheon and the U.S. Air Force, upgraded hardware and electronics were used during extended periods of flight and resulted in SDB II successfully acquiring and destroying several stationary targets with direct hits.

"Detecting stationary targets amidst the clutter of battlefield environments without using latitude and longitude presents a difficult challenge for most weapons today, but not SDB II," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "Acquiring stationary targets with the same seeker that can identify and track moving targets demonstrates the dynamic capability this new weapon brings to the warfighter."

SDB II low-collateral damage weapon has a range of more than 40 nautical miles. Targets can be changed through an in-flight data link.

"These latest tests showcase our tri-mode seeker's game-changing capability to acquire, track, engage and destroy both stationary and moving targets in adverse weather," said John O'Brien, Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb 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."