Raytheon integrates its next-gen smart munition on F-35

Raytheon, one of the world’s largest defense contractors, has confirmed that it begin integrating and formally testing its GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

According to a recent company news release, the first-ever StormBreaker munition drop test from an F-35 was conducted in late 2021 to test the communication link between the weapon and a secondary aircraft.

StormBreaker features a revolutionary tri-mode seeker that uses imaging infrared and millimeter wave radar in its normal mode. The weapon can also deploy its semi-active laser or GPS guidance to hit targets.

As noted by the company, StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions. The winged munition autonomously detects and classifies moving targets in poor visibility situations caused by darkness, bad weather, smoke or dust kicked up by helicopters.

Poor weather and battlefield obscurants continue to endanger warfighters as adversaries rely on these conditions to escape attacks. This has established the requirement for an all-weather solution that enhances warfighters’ capabilities when visibility is limited.