Raytheon Corporation is one of the leading manufacturers “clever” ammunition. Among the company's new products - lightweight "air-to-air" missiles, which can double the arsenal of modern fighter aircraft and a new guided bomb, which should replace GBU-39.
The high-precision guided aerial bomb GBU-39 SDB entered service with the US Army relatively recently - in 2005 year. It was created to increase the number of targets hit per hit..
In the near future, it will be replaced by a three-mode “smart” bomb of a new generation of StormBreaker. While the ammunition GBU-39 used the satellites of the global positioning system (GPS), StormBreaker Small Diameter Bomb II GBU-53 will use GPS plus a millimeter-wave radar and a semi-active laser as a search system during operation. Expected, that GBU-53 will be used on the F-35.
The introduction of GBU-53 means, that enemies can no longer hide behind adverse weather conditions, smoke screen or dust. The three-mode StormBreaker guidance system is one of a kind technology and gives pilots the ability to destroy moving targets from a space outside the affected area of air defense systems.
– quotes Breaking Defense portal words Kim Ernzen, Vice President Raytheon.
Twice less weight, double loading
Another novelty of the company is the Peregrine air-to-air medium-range missile. It has half the weight compared to AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder with other comparable parameters: in particular, lethal force.
Kim Ernzen notes, what dominates the market as ammunition weight reduction trends, and the development of dual-use systems. First of all, we are talking about updating existing systems.
A great example for this is the Naval Strike Missile (Sea strike rocket – NSM). Ships of the coastal zone are usually armed with this anti-ship missile.. However, recently, a number of customers (including the US Marine Corps) interest in the coastal version arose. The same trends exist for a number of other company products..
In particular, Raytheon launches AIM-9X Sidewinder guided missile from a ground platform. Tests passed this summer, they were considered successful. It is assumed, that these missiles can be used for air defense systems.
