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.
Massive new Coventry campus targets 60GWh battery output
Where will all the raw materials come from for the manufacturing process? How will they be transported to the factory and what is going to be done with the various scrap and residues?