Cobham has been awarded a contract from Boeing to manufacture more than 400 units for the seventh production lot of BRU-61/A weapons carriage system capable of supporting the US Air Force’s small diameter bomb (SDB) programme. To date, Cobham has supplied more than 1,400 carriages in support of worldwide operations.

The BRU-61/A is used by the Air Force’s F-15E jet fighter to carry four SDB precision strike munitions, increasing the aircraft capability per sortie. The BRU-61/A utilises pneumatic ejection technology to release the SDB using compressed air rather than pyrotechnic cartridges, as per older weapons carriage systems.

“The BRU-61/A is a much safer system that requires significantly less logistical support, maintenance and repair when compared with legacy systems,” said Iain Gibson, President of Cobham Mission Equipment.

The BRU-61/A carriage system is the first pneumatic multistores carriage system to enter service with US aircraft and represents the latest design in pneumatic ejection systems. It has been successfully employed in combat on the F-15E fighter as part of the SDB weapon system, providing close air support for ground troops operating in Iraq since in October 2006.