The US Air Force awarded Raytheon, an RTX member, a $345 million contract to produce and deliver more than 1500 StormBreaker smart munitions. 

StormBreaker is an air-to-surface, centric-networked smart munition that can engage targets using its multi-effects warhead and tri-mode seeker:

• Millimeter wave radar detects and tracks targets under any weather condition;
• Imaging infrared for enhanced target discrimination;
• Semi-active laser, which enables the weapon system to track an airborne or ground-based laser designator. 

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

The tri-mode seeker shares targeting information among all three modes, enabling StormBreaker to engage fixed or moving targets at any time of day and in all weather conditions.

The weapon system’s small size enables the use of fewer aircraft to take out the same number of targets as larger weapons that require multiple jets. StormBreaker features a range exceeding 45 miles.

The system is integrated on the F-15E Strike Eagle and F/A-18E/F SuperHornet with trials underway on all variants of the F-35. StormBreaker completed 28 test drops on all platforms in 2023. Read more in the following article.

Also read: US Navy | Integration of RTX’s StormBreaker on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet