Boeing has been awarded an $80m US Air Force full-rate production contract for the Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) system.
The order calls for Boeing to deliver 1,600 weapons, 300 carriages and other equipment to the air force by 2008. This is the first full-rate production contract for the SDB I system.
Boeing will manufacture more than 24,000 SDB I weapons and 2,000 carriages for the air force, with deliveries planned beyond 2015.
According to Boeing, the SDB I weapon system, which includes a four-bomb capacity pneumatic carriage, is the first of a new generation of weapons whose small size and robust performance increase mission capability while reducing collateral damage in the target area.
An all-weather, 113kg class weapon system, SDB I is designed to quadruple the number of weapons each aircraft can carry. At 1.8m long and with a standoff range of 111km, the weapon is compatible with every US fighter and bomber aircraft.
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