Naomi Cooper
The U.S. Navy has fielded the RTX-built StormBreaker precision-guided glide bomb on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, providing the multirole fighter aircraft with strike capability against moving targets.
RTX said Monday the F/A-18 is the first approved Navy aircraft to carry the air-to-surface weapon system to engage fixed or moving land and maritime targets in all weather conditions.
StormBreaker features a multimode seeker that uses an imaging infrared camera, a millimeter-wave radar, and a semi-active laser system to enhance target tracking and discrimination.
Paul Ferraro, president of air power at Raytheon, said the weapon system underscores the company’s commitment to “using digital technologies to deliver advanced air dominance weapons, ensuring the continued relevance of fourth-generation aircraft.”
StormBreaker reached initial operating capability for the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet in 2022.
The weapon system is undergoing integration testing for all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
