Weapons

Raytheon’s Small Diameter Bomb II approved for production, deployment

The Pentagon has given Milestone C approval to Raytheon’s Small Diameter Bomb II programme, moving the tri-mode seeker weapon to production and deployment with the US Air Force on the F-15E Strike Eagle. The air force’s top acquisition executive Bill LaPlante says the approval was received earlier this month, concluding a five-year development phase. The programme is about one year behind schedule due to a handful of failed test shots, but remains on cost.