US military testing StormBreaker bomb to hit enemy even in bad weather

With its tri-mode seeker, the StormBreaker™ bomb destroys moving and stationary targets in adverse weather. Photo Credit: Raytheon Website

Waltham (USA): Unites States of America will soon get the 250 pound (113 kilogramme) StormBreaker bomb, which has the ability to hit moving targets in all-weather conditions several kilometres away. The StormBreaker bomb, previously known as the Small Diameter Bomb II, or SDB II bomb, has been developed by Raytheon and tested on the US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle.

The bomb will be integrated with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by 2022. The US Navy has also begun the StormBreaker bomb integration on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

During a war, bad weather and other physical obstructions in the battlefield are the biggest hindrances in fighter jets and bombers hitting the enemy but with the StormBreaker bomb, the US military will have the capability to easily target their opponents.

According to Raytheaon, the StormBreaker bomb's seeker works in three modes to provide maximum operational flexibility: millimeter wave radar to detect and track targets through weather, imaging infrared for enhanced target discrimination and semi-active laser that enables the weapon to track an airborne laser designator or one on the ground.

"This powerful, integrated seeker seamlessly shares targeting information among all three modes, enabling the weapon to engage fixed or moving targets at any time of day and in all-weather conditions. The StormBreaker bomb's tri-mode seeker can also peer through battlefield dust and debris, giving the warfighter a capability that's unaffected by conditions on the ground or in the air," the Raythean website says about the bomb.

The StormBreaker bomb can be used to target the enemy more than 45 miles (over 72 kilometres) away. Such a capability will also ensure that US military aircraft and pilots are several kilometres away from the enemy which will also reduce their chances of being coming in the harm's way.

Due to the StormBreaker bomb's relatively small size, a US Air Force and US Navy jet can carry several of them, thereby reducing the number of jets required to hit the enemy during a war.