SDB Program Heading Operational Testing

Released on Friday, August 26, 2005

Four Boeing Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) were released on August 25 from two separate carriages on a US Air Force F-15E, testing the full capabilities of the SDB guided-weapon system.

The test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was conducted at an altitude of 15,000 feet (5,000 meters), approximately 20 nautical miles (36+ kilometers) from four separate targets. After receiving target coordinates, the F-15E crew released the four bombs from two separate BRU-61 carriages.

Three of the bombs targeted military trucks on the ground, while the fourth targeted a 40-ft (12+ meters). 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 US fighter and bomber aircraft. It has a standoff range of 60 nautical miles (110+ kilometers). At 71 inches (1.8 meters) long, this 250-pound (120 kg) 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.