US to Produce Bomb Retargeting in Mid-Flight

Raytheon said in a statement that the US Air Force and defense contractor Raytheon have passed a final review of the Small Diameter Bomb II, an advanced bomb that can change direction and target in midflight.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Air Force and defense contractor Raytheon have passed a final review of the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), an advanced bomb that can change direction and target in midflight through the use of a secure datalink, Raytheon said in a statement on Monday.

"The Milestone C decision enables us to begin putting this game-changing capability into the warfighters' hands," US Air Force SDB II program manager Col. Kevin Hickman in the statement.

Hickman explained that the ability to strike moving targets with extreme precision in adverse weather “reduces an aircrew's time in harm's way and limits collateral damage in the battlespace."

The SDB II can strike moving targets from a distance of 45 miles through radar, infrared and laser sensors, as well as change direction and targets after being fired from aircraft.

The US Department of Defense has invested more than $700 million in the SDB II program.

The final review will enable initial production of the missile.

Raytheon is one of the top US defense contractors with $23 billion in sales in 2014.