Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems recently reached testing milestones for two new guided bombs and the latest version of the laser-guided Maverick missile.
Small Diameter Bomb II
The target seeker on the Small Diameter Bomb II, a small, precision-guided bomb under development by Raytheon, has passed a series of government laboratory tests, the company said.
The tests on the SDB II's "tri-mode" seeker "demonstrated that it exceeds anticipated performance parameters," Raytheon said.
SDB II's seeker combines millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semiactive laser sensors on a single assembly.
A year ago, Raytheon won an Air Force contract initially worth $450 million to develop the SDB II, beating out a team made up of Boeing Co. - prime contractor for the first-generation Small Diameter Bomb - and Lockheed Martin.
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The new, uncooled infrared seeker eliminates the cost and complexity of current cooled systems. The technology also is being used on Raytheon's pending bid for the Joint Air to Ground Missile, slated to replace three legacy missiles.
Laser-guided Maverick
The Air Force completed developmental testing of Raytheon's AGM-65 E2/L, the newest version of the laser-guided Maverick missile. The milestone clears the way for the weapon to enter operational testing, Raytheon said.
The U.S. Air Force-Navy test effort included flight tests of the new laser-guided Maverick on the A-10, F-16, AV-8B and F/A-18 aircraft. The missile allows targeting by laser systems onboard aircraft that launch the weapon, in addition to laser targeting by other aircraft or ground-based lasers.
The testing culminated in a series of three live-fire shots against moving and static targets from A-10 and F-16 aircraft. The Navy is expected to complete its flight testing this summer.
JSOW
Raytheon said the Navy has successfully completed the first free-flight test of the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1, moving the glide bomb closer to initial operational capability.
JSOW is a series of air-to-surface weapons that use an integrated GPS-inertial navigation system and imaging infrared seeker to home in on targets. JSOW C-1 adds the capability to hit moving maritime targets and a two-way datalink allowing it to share data on a secure tactical network.
The JSOW C-1 is expected to reach initial operational capability in 2013.
During the test, which met all objectives, an inert JSOW C-1 was released from an F/A-18F Super Hornet and guided to a ship target more than 23 miles away, transmitting flight information and using data from a Raytheon-made infrared targeting pod.
Contact Assistant Business Editor David Wichner at dwichner@azstarnet.com or 573-4181.