Ground-Launched And Powered Air-Launched Versions Of StormBreaker Glide Bomb Are In Development

Raytheon has revealed that it’s engaged on a ground-launched model of its StormBreaker glide bomb, beforehand obtainable only in air-launched form. The brand new growth of the weapon ought to present a really versatile follow-on to the Floor-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which made its combat debut in Ukraine however had reportedly performed poorly there, particularly attributable to heavy Russian jamming. In the meantime, the identical motor that will probably be used on the ground-launched mannequin can be deliberate to be added to the air-launched model, offering a significantly higher standoff vary.

The existence of the ground-launched StormBreaker — the official identify of the weapon was not revealed — was disclosed by Jon “Stormin” Norman, vp of Raytheon’s Air & House Protection Techniques Necessities & Functionality. He was talking on the Fighter Pilot Podcast, the total episode of which you will discover here.

“On firm funding, we’re working with among the service labs to do a floor launch variant of [StormBreaker],” Norman mentioned. “We’ll be testing that to summer season on firm cash, and that’ll give it a superb vary and a superb point-defense functionality.”

Norman added that the corporate was nonetheless taking a look at propulsion choices for the ground-launched model, with both a rocket motor or an air-breathing engine into consideration. Nonetheless, no matter possibility is chosen will doubtless additionally make its method onto the air-launched model, too. “We’re engaged on the engineering design to combine that onto the weapon to drastically improve the vary of that StormBreaker so we will preserve our pilots outdoors of risk rings. So we’re very enthusiastic about that. We expect that this has a number of progress functionality.”

Earlier than trying on the explicit benefits provided by a ground-launched StormBreaker, it’s price trying briefly on the growth path that introduced Raytheon right here.

The story begins with the 250-pound GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb, or SDB I, a ‘hearth and neglect’ precision assault weapon that mixes standoff with small dimension. This implies extra examples of the weapon will be carried by a single plane. Relying on the launch top and velocity, the unpowered SDB I can attain targets so far as 60 miles away, due to its pop-out wing set. Nonetheless, that is below optimum situations, and a spread within the area of 45-50 miles is extra doubtless when launched from a tactical jet.

Nonetheless, the unique SDB I just isn’t capable of have interaction transferring targets, a limitation addressed by the Small Diameter Bomb II, now higher generally known as the GBU-53/B StormBreaker. This is ready to hit transferring targets in any climate, due to its tri-mode steering system, which makes use of imaging infrared, millimeter-wave radar, or semi-active laser homing to hit a delegated aimpoint. There’s additionally a datalink, permitting the munition to speak over the Hyperlink 16 community so pilots can ship up to date goal data to the StormBreaker after the weapon has left its launch pylon. Whereas it solely weighs 204 kilos, this features a surprisingly highly effective penetrating warhead for its dimension.

Relying on the altitude and velocity of the launching plane, the weapon can glide as much as 69 miles by itself utilizing a GPS-assisted inertial navigation system, after which it will possibly strike a selected coordinate or start looking for a goal. For transferring targets, the weapon’s vary is lowered to 45 miles.

The air-launched StormBreaker is due to this fact properly suited to duties corresponding to battlefield interdiction and destruction of enemy air defenses towards ground-mobile targets and even anti-ship attacks. It’s additionally way more versatile relating to focusing on and re-targeting total.

The primary effort to rework the collection right into a surface-launched long-range precision strike weapon was the Floor-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, or GLSDB, developed by Boeing, in partnership with Saab of Sweden, on the idea of the air-launched SDB.

Every GLSDB is comprised of two current parts, the air-launched GBU-39/B SDB and the rocket motor from the 227mm-caliber M26 artillery rocket. The M26 is among the many rocket varieties that may be fired from the M270 A number of Launch Rocket System (MLRS), and variants thereof, and the M142 Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

The GLSDB depends on the M26 rocket motor to propel it for the preliminary enhance/loft section, after which the wings are deployed and the munition flies unpowered, as a glide bomb. It makes use of the GBU-39/B’s current inertial navigation system and embedded GPS to information it to its goal. The GLSDB has a spread of round 94 miles.

In its advertising literature, Saab claimed that the GLSDB’s steering system not solely ensures accuracy to inside three ft however can be resilient to digital warfare jamming, one thing that’s of particular concern within the Ukrainian conflict.

Nonetheless, as soon as uncovered to fight for the primary time by Ukrainian forces, it seems the GLSDB was found wanting.

“One firm, I received’t say who they’re, they got here up with a very cool thought of taking an air-to-ground weapon and doing a ground-launched model of it, and it will be a long-range hearth weapon,” Invoice LaPlante, below secretary of protection for Acquisition and Sustainment, mentioned in April 2024. Though he didn’t point out the GLSDB by identify, his which means was clear, as no different weapons match this description.

“They raced and did it as quick as they might,” LaPlante continued. He added that U.S. authorities relaxed their testing necessities to assist velocity the weapon system in query to Ukraine.

“We mentioned, look, simply check for security. In any other case, the operational testing will probably be non-cooperative with the Russians,” in line with LaPlante. “And so then we despatched it to Ukrainians. It didn’t work.”

LaPlante claimed the GLSDB’s efficiency was restricted for “a number of causes,” together with the dense digital warfare surroundings, in addition to the ways, strategies, and procedures.

“It simply didn’t work,” LaPlante defined, earlier than suggesting that the weapon had been roughly deserted by the Ukrainians because of this.

Whereas LaPlante didn’t present any extra particulars on the digital warfare subject, it’s by now no secret that Russian GPS jamming, specifically, has lowered the effectivity of Ukraine’s use of Western precision-guided ground and air-launched munitions. Because the struggle in Ukraine has continued, Russian forces have significantly expanded their use of assorted sorts of digital warfare capabilities.

Clearly, weapons like GLSDB that depend on GPS are going to be particularly weak to Russian jamming of this sort.

The StormBreaker, nonetheless, ought to be way more resilient, due to its tri-mode steering. Though Norman made no point out of the GLSDB’s efficiency or of its utilization in Ukraine, having a weapon that’s higher ready to deal with Russian or some other hostile digital warfare makes a great deal of sense.

A tri-mode seeker implies that, not like the GLSDB, the ground-launched StormBreaker may have the flexibility to seek out its strategy to a transferring or static goal and to deal with smoke, mud, and different poor climate situations. Moreover, the weapon’s onboard laptop is ready to classify and prioritize targets by itself, searching for out their particularly weak factors, too.

Moreover, the StormBreaker features hardening towards electromagnetic jamming and cyber assaults, offering an additional degree of reliability.

Other than the propulsion decisions, Norman didn’t present particulars of how the ground-launched StormBreaker may work compared to the GLSDB. It’s unclear if the rocket motor he referred to can be the identical as that used within the GLSDB, though the opportunity of an air-breathing engine would tally with Raytheon’s objective of growing a weapon that can have a most vary significantly higher than the roughly 94 miles of the GLSDB. This may be particularly related for the air-launched model, during which the velocity and altitude of the launch platform would mix with the motor to offer even higher standoff distance.

The struggle in Ukraine has additionally bolstered the significance of getting munitions that put significantly extra distance between the launch platform and the goal space. Even the GLSDB, for all its obvious issues, offers considerably higher attain than the longest-range 227mm artillery rockets at present obtainable for the M270 MLRS and the M142 HIMARS. These can hearth precision-guided rockets out to round 50 miles. In the meantime, the Ukrainian Air Drive has had notable success with the air-launched SDB. A weapon that mixes the flexibility of the air-launched StormBreaker with even higher standoff vary can be of giant curiosity to any variety of air forces.

Clearly, relying on the eventual most vary, a single ground-launched StormBreaker battery will be capable to present immediate precision strike possibility even towards transferring targets over a big geographical space. Simply assuming the identical vary as the present GLSDB, it will be capable to tackle targets over practically 28,000 sq. miles. As such, it should supply even a small forward-based unit unprecedented capabilities. This might together with hanging quite a few autos dozens of miles away with exacting precision, in any climate, with out the usage of air assist — whether or not or not it’s manned or unmanned plane. This functionality would supply drastic efficiencies and a brand new degree of natural precision hearth assist mainly anyplace on the battlefield a launcher can survive.

In relation to the powered air-launched SDB II, that might additionally supply an enormous leap in functionality, permitting plane to make higher use of ever extra capable and farther-reaching kill webs that leverage superior networking for focusing on. Its prolonged vary would additionally present a bigger margin of survivability for the launch platform, which face increasingly long-ranged air defenses.

TWZ has approached Raytheon for extra particulars concerning the ground-launched model of the StormBreaker — and the powered air-launched mannequin. With checks of the ground-launched model apparently now underway, we must always be taught extra concerning the new weapon sooner or later. Whereas it’s arduous to find out the total scope of its capabilities at this early stage, the ground-launched StormBreaker would seem to supply a spread of benefits over the GLSDB, not least its capacity to hit transferring targets in all weathers — and its higher resilience to digital warfare jamming.

Contact the writer: thomas@thewarzone.com