Raytheon Company’s small diameter bomb II (SDB II) programme completed a US Air Force critical design review (CDR), clearing the way for the weapon to begin captive flight testing later this year.

“Raytheon’s SDB II features a mature trimode seeker and a cutting-edge warhead, and completing the CDR proves our design is producible and mature,” said Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems Vice President of Air Warfare Systems. “Raytheon has an affordable and executable plan to deliver a robust engineering and manufacturing development programme.”

SDB II is an air-launched, precision-strike standoff weapon that will enable the warfighter to defeat moving and fixed targets in adverse weather conditions. The weapon incorporates an improved seeker that features three modes of operation: millimeterwave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semi-active laser.