StormBreaker smart weapon to be fitted on F-35B Lightning II

29th November 2021 - 17:45 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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An F-35B releases the StormBreaker smart weapon. (Photo: Raytheon Missiles & Defense)

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and the US Navy tested the new StormBreaker missile, demonstrating network capabilities with the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense together with the USN conducted the first-ever weapon drop of a StormBreaker precision-guided glide bomb from a USMC F-35B Lightning II.

During the test, an F-35B pilot used the network-enabled weapon as a guided munition, following the same method one would use in combat, from mission planning to release.

After the F-35B released the weapon, a nearby F/A-18F Super Hornet monitored the fly-out of the weapon over a common network. The Super Hornet continued monitoring of the weapon until successful impact, showing successful network connectivity capability.

“The weapon’s operational flexibility increases the F-35’s capability and capacity, and it helps limit the time our warfighters spend in harm’s way,” said Alison Howlett, StormBreaker programme director at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

StormBreaker will continue developmental and operational testing with the F-35B, while the USN will declare IOC for the missile on the Super Hornet after operational testing concludes.