The U.S. Air Force's Small Diameter Bomb II Program Has Been On Hold For Almost A Year

An F-15E fighter aircraft is armed with the Small Diameter Bomb II, under development by Raytheon for the Air Force and Navy. (Raytheon)

Defense News: Production of one of the F-35′s most anticipated bombs has been on hold for almost a year

WASHINGTON — Deliveries of a new precision-guided bomb under development by Raytheon for the F-35 and other fighter jets have been at a standstill for about a year as the company struggles to correct a technical problem involving a key component.

A fix for the issue, which brought production of the Small Diameter Bomb II to a halt in July 2019, could be approved by the government as soon as July, said Air Force spokesman Capt. Jake Bailey in response to questions by Defense News.

However, a June report by the Government Accountability Office pointed out that continued technical issues have already caused a delay in fielding the munition, with Raytheon forced to redesign a key component and retrofit all 598 bombs already delivered to the Air Force and Navy.

The Small Diameter Bomb II — also known as the GBU-53 StormBreaker — was designed with a tri-mode seeker that includes a millimeter wave radar, imaging infrared and semi-active laser that allow the weapon to engage targets in all weather conditions and environments where visibility is obscured by dust and debris.

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WNU Editor: There is a back-up plan .... Boeing awarded $280 million Small Diameter Bomb integration and support contract (Defense Post).