Small Diameter Bombs for RSAF
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Boeing starts tests to integrate Small Diameter Bomb on F-22, F-16 jet fighter-bombers
ST. LOUIS, 18 Dec. 2006. Engineers at the McDonnell Douglas subsidiary of the Boeing Co. in St. Louis are starting tests to integrate the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb on the U.S. Air Force F/A-22 fighter bomber, as well as on the Block 30, 40, and 50 variants of the F-16 jet fighter.
Today the 250-pound smart bomb is fitted to the F-15E fighter bomber. The F/A-22 currently can carry only 1,000 pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs, but eventually will be able to carry eight Small Diameter Bombs.
Eventually Air Force experts plan to equip the B-2 long-range strategic bomber to carry as many as 216 Small Diameter Bombs on each mission.
McDonnell Douglas is doing the Small Diameter Bomb test work under terms of a $13 million contract modification awarded Dec. 15. The contract came from the Air Force 308th Armament Systems Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
The contract calls for McDonnell Douglas to provide test assets in support of aircraft and weapon integration of the Small Diameter Bomb on the F-16 Block 30, F-16 Block 40/50, F-22A, and maintain interoperability on the F-15E. The company also will test the universal armament interface for the Small Diameter Bomber II program. Work will be in St. Louis, and is to be finished in August 2008.
GBU-39 variant of the Small Diameter Bomb has guidance from the satellite Global Positioning System (GPS), as well as from an inertial gyro. The future GBU-40 variant will have a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities for mobile and relocatable targets.
The bomb measures 5.9 feet long and weighs 285 pounds, and is to increases the number of weapons an aircraft can carry, as well as reduce collateral damage. The bomb has a range of more than 60 miles, and can operate in bad weather.
The weapon was first deployed with the U.S. Air Force last year.
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/280124/32/NEWS/none/none/Boeing-starts-tests-to-integrate-Small-Diameter-Bomb-on-F-22,-F-16-jet-fighter-bombers
Boeing Receives First Small Diameter Bomb Full-Rate Production Order from U.S. Air Force
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded an $80 million U.S. Air Force full-rate production contract for the Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) system.
The order calls for Boeing to deliver 1,600 weapons, 300 carriages and other equipment to the Air Force by 2008. This is the first full-rate production contract for the SDB I system.
Boeing will manufacture more than 24,000 SDB I weapons and 2,000 carriages for the Air Force, with deliveries planned beyond 2015.
The SDB I weapon system, which includes a four-bomb capacity pneumatic carriage, is the first of a new generation of weapons whose small size and robust performance greatly increase mission capability while reducing collateral damage in the target area.
"This action by the Air Force is the culmination of a gratifying last few months for the SDB team," said Boeing SDB Program Manager Dan Jaspering. "Not only was the weapon system declared operational on schedule, it also was successfully deployed in combat. Now, with a strong vote of confidence from our customer, the first full-rate production contract has been awarded."
An all-weather, 250-pound class weapon system, SDB I quadruples the number of weapons each aircraft can carry. At 71-inches long and with a standoff range of 60 nautical miles, the weapon is compatible with every U.S. fighter and bomber aircraft.
Boeing builds the GBU-39 weapon at its lean manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Mo. Sargent Fletcher, Inc., of El Monte, Calif., builds the BRU-61 carriages.
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2006/q4/061219a_nr.html
Small diameter bombs for our F-16C/Ds?
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We can also carry it on our F-15s since the USAF currently deploys the SDB on their F-15E Strike Eagles .
Four GBU-39/Bs can be carried on a single station by using the BRU-61/A four-store rack and the strike eagle can carry the rack on 5 weapons station, giving a total of 20 SDBs, which is a very impressive load. -
We wont be getting any SDBs until we buy the JSF...cause they have to build for US then Allies then the next richest customer...
After all we are only allow to purchase airplane munitions alongside aircraft deals... with F-15s we gotten JDAMs and JSOWs...those are pretty impressive as well. Bet ST will try to copy the JDAMs somehow... -
???Originally posted by CM06:We wont be getting any SDBs until we buy the JSF...cause they have to build for US then Allies then the next richest customer...
After all we are only allow to purchase airplane munitions alongside aircraft deals... with F-15s we gotten JDAMs and JSOWs...those are pretty impressive as well. Bet ST will try to copy the JDAMs somehow...
Nope... Being rich has nothing to do with being cleared for a particular kind of munition, or the peaking order for receipt of weapons. It is up to the US to decide who and when to sell to when a foreign country, for instance Singapore, asks for it. Under the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) program, the DSCA (Defence Security Cooperation Agency) will administer any sales or transfers through the DOD (Department of Defence).
And the RSAF has made many deals which involve the sale of weapons and munitions outside fighter contracts, even though it may be stated that they are related to the fighter deals. Take for instance these 2 munitions deals made at different time periods from the F-16 purchases a few years back.
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/Singapore_03-12.pdf
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/Singapore_02-32.pdf -
IIRC, we don't buy under FMS. Most of the time is under commercial. Just need State or Congress approval.
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I don't remember that being the case. Somehow all sale of military weapons must be first notified to congress. Of course, the actual sale may not reflect the initial notification.
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1) Is the above process always approved (ie going through the motion)Originally posted by ^Delta^:???
Nope... Being rich has nothing to do with being cleared for a particular kind of munition, or the peaking order for receipt of weapons. It is up to the US to decide who and when to sell to when a foreign country, for instance Singapore, asks for it. Under the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) program, the DSCA (Defence Security Cooperation Agency) will administer any sales or transfers through the DOD (Department of Defence).
And the RSAF has made many deals which involve the sale of weapons and munitions outside fighter contracts, even though it may be stated that they are related to the fighter deals. Take for instance these 2 munitions deals made at different time periods from the F-16 purchases a few years back.
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/Singapore_03-12.pdf
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/Singapore_02-32.pdf
2) Does that also mean that the JDAMs/JSOWs that we acquire via the F-15 deal can be increased?
3) Actually i want to meant it like...new weapon stuff...but from what's written above i suppose we can just order SDBs without having to order JSFs yet... am i right? -
Correct. FMS is for platforms, DCA is for standalone weapons.Originally posted by touchstone_2000:IIRC, we don't buy under FMS. Most of the time is under commercial. Just need State or Congress approval.
Our security/alliance status vis-a-vis the United States has moved upwards a fair bit since 2002.