USAF orders integration and test work for StormBreaker
StormBreaker warhead, pictured in a 2020 test. (Photo: Raytheon)
Raytheon will deliver GBU-53/B All-Up Round test vehicles and other equipment by April 2023.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense will conduct integration and test work on the GBU-53/B StormBreaker precision-guided glide bomb (previously known as the Small Diameter Bomb II) under a $79.4 million sole-source contract from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
The company will deliver All-Up Round (AUR) test vehicles, perform AUR-level assembly, checkout, testing and systems integration testing; and prepare multiple engineering changes such as National Security Agency cryptographic modernisation, GPS military code, mitigation of part obsolescence, and design changes evolving from production and/or operations.
Work is expected to be completed by 1 April 2023.
StormBreaker employs a tri-mode seeker that uses imaging IR and millimetre-wave radar in its normal mode, according to Shephard Defence Insight. The weapon can also deploy a semi-active laser or GPS guidance to hit targets.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![CH-47 Chinook: why the iconic helicopter design is still a heavy-lift contender (updated 2026)]()
CH-47 Chinook: why the iconic helicopter design is still a heavy-lift contender (updated 2026)
From its emergence as a ground-breaking design in the 1950s to its widespread deployment in diverse operations worldwide, the Chinook continues to leave an indelible mark on the aviation landscape. Shephard sums up the helicopter’s latest developments.
-
![UK vows to accelerate Lyra programme for Ukraine as defence industry eyes opportunities]()
UK vows to accelerate Lyra programme for Ukraine as defence industry eyes opportunities
Project Nightfall and Project Octopus both fall under the Lyra programme, with UK industry working to develop and deliver additional missiles and drones to help bolster Ukraine’s warfighting capabilities against Russia.
-
![How detection-led C-UAS solutions are transforming drone defense]()
How detection-led C-UAS solutions are transforming drone defense
Modern C-UAS solutions must detect threats early, integrate layered sensors, and deliver fast, scalable, adaptable defense against evolving drones.
-
![How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics]()
How uncrewed rotary platforms are shaping approaches to contested logistics
Defence industry primes are working on an array of different platforms to meet the growing need for rotary uncrewed aerial vehicles to carry out future logistics missions.
