The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Norway of Small Diameter Bomb II and related equipment for an estimated cost of $293 million. The Government of Norway has requested to buy up to five hundred eighty (580) GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bombs-Increment II (SDB-II) All-Up-Rounds (AURs) that will be added to a previously implemented case. The original foreign military sales (FMS) case, valued at $18.9 million, included twenty (20) GBU-53/B, SDB-II AURs. Therefore, this notification is for a total of up to six hundred (600) GBU-53/B, SDB-II AURs.
Also included are SDB-II Weapon Load Crew Trainers (WLCT) and Practical Explosive Ordnance Disposal Trainers (PEDT); munitions support and support equipment; unclassified software delivery and support; spare parts, consumables, and accessories; repair and return support; modifications and maintenance support; transportation support; unclassified publications and technical documentation; personnel training equipment and support; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.
The Small Diameter Bomb II, is an American air-launched, precision-guided glide bomb. Development was started in 2006 for a 250 pounds (113 kg) class bomb that can identify and strike mobile targets from standoff distances in all weather conditions. It is integrated on the F-15E Strike Eagle and will be integrated into the F/A-18 Hornet and F-35 Lightning fighters. The bomb is developed and manufactured by Raytheon. In July 2018, Raytheon announced that the SDB II, recently renamed StormBreaker, had entered operational testing; the weapon had achieved a 90% success rate during developmental testing.
The bomb can use GPS/INS to guide itself into the general vicinity of a moving target during the initial search phase, with course correction updates provided using a Link 16 over UHF data link. The bomb has three modes of target acquisition: millimeter-wave radar, infrared homing using an uncooled imaging seeker, and semi-active laser homing. The weapon is capable of fusing the information from the sensors to classify the target and can prioritize certain types of targets as desired when used in semi-autonomous mode. The shaped charge warhead in the bomb has both blast and fragmentation effects, which makes it effective against infantry, armor, unhardened structures and buildings, as well as patrol craft sized boats and other soft targets.
