STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC
USAF sees potential for small diameter bomb spin-offs such as navigation software
Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) programme is set to reap the benefits of the company's recent victory in the small diameter bomb (SDB) competition during the next round of annual production contracts.
US Air Force officials believe the SDB's advanced navigation, fuzing and wing technologies could be rapidly adapted to the JDAM family of GPS-guided bombs.
The JDAM's Lot 8 production contract, to be awarded next year, is seen as the first opportunity to capture SDB spin-offs, such as navigation software, that offers twice the accuracy of JDAM, which has a requirement for a 13m (43ft) targeting error.
JDAM deputy director Brian Rutledge says the technologies of each weapon "will be shared back and forth". Boeing's SDB also uses MBDA's Diamond Back wing kit to extend the weapon's range and a more reliable electronic fuze derived from air-to-air missiles and the US Army's precision-guided rocket systems.
The USAF selected Boeing's design at the end of August, concluding a two-year competition against Lockheed Martin in which both companies were awarded $47 million component advanced development deals. Negotiations on the terms of the three-year development award, worth at least $188.3 million, are complete, say Boeing and USAF officials.
A signed contract will be delayed until the Defense Acquisition Board meets on 8 October to discuss the USAF's acquisition strategy. The USAF is planning to spend $2.5 billion over 15 years for 24,000 SDBs and 2,000 carriage systems. More funding could be needed if it decides to upgrade the weapon to strike moving targets. In future, Boeing may be tasked with integrating datalinks and seeker technologies into the SDB system. The datalinks could be used for receiving retargeting data and providing situational awareness.
Lockheed Martin officials say its proposed precision navigation system, which is designed to update the SDB's navigation system in-flight with course corrections, offers a potential entry point into the programme to upgrade the weapon.
The USAF is also seeking to raise international interest in SDB, and will brief UK defence officials in London in October.
Source: Flight International
