Raytheon, a member of RTX, has announced that the US Navy has fielded the StormBreaker smart weapon on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

The F/A-18 is the first approved US Navy aircraft able to carry the said weapon system. Building off the knowledge of F-15E fielding, Raytheon was able to reduce the number of required flight tests, saving time and resources to provide this capability to the US Navy.

StormBreaker features an innovative multimode seeker that guides the weapon by using an imaging infrared camera, millimeter-wave radar, and semi-active laser in addition to GPS and inertial navigation system guidance. 

Also read: GBU-53 / B StormBreaker | The F-15E is the first aircraft to carry the revolutionary ammunition – VIDEO

StormBreaker’s small size lets fewer aircraft address the same number of targets compared to larger weapons that require multiple jets. 

It can also fly more than 40 miles to strike moving land and maritime targets, reducing the amount of time that aircrews spend in harm’s way.

The US Air Force declared Initial Operating Capability for StormBreaker on the F-15E Strike Eagle in 2022, while all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are currently in integration testing with the munition in question. 

Also read: The US Department of Defence wants full DEAD / SEAD capabilities in F35A