ST. LOUIS, August 26, 2005 Four Boeing [NYSE:BA] Small
Diameter Bombs (SDB) were released on Aug. 25 from two separate
carriages on a U.S. Air Force F-15E, testing the full capabilities
of the SDB guided-weapon system.
The test at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was conducted at an
altitude of 15,000 feet, approximately 20 nautical miles from four
separate targets. After receiving target coordinates, the F-15E
crew released the four bombs from two separate BRU-61
carriages.
"Being able to hit more targets with fewer sorties is what the SDB
was designed to do," said Boeing Weapons Enterprise Capability
Center vice president, Mark McGraw. "This test not only proved it
is possible, it also showed it can be done with great accuracy; a
common theme for the SDB program, which has become one of the most
successful weapons development programs ever."
Three of the bombs targeted military trucks on the ground, while
the fourth targeted a 40-ft. wall of shipping containers, and each
SDB hit its intended target. In addition to accuracy, the test was
designed to further demonstrate the optimal trajectory to the
target and the terminal dive angle, heading and velocity of the
weapons.
With the final planned free-flight test in the development test
program behind it, the Small Diameter Bomb team is scheduled to
begin Operational testing this fall.
The all-weather SDB weapon system includes four bombs and is
compatible with every U.S. fighter and bomber aircraft. It has a
standoff range of 60 nautical miles. At 71 inches long, this
250-pound class weapon quadruples the number of weapons on each
aircraft can carry. The system will first be deployed on the Boeing
F-15E Strike Eagle in 2006.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is
one of the world's largest space and defense businesses.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a
$30.5 billion business. It provides network-centric system
solutions to its global military, government, and commercial
customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft
manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a
leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems
integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and
a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
Will these be equipped on our F-15Ts?
