Raytheon’s GBU-53/B StormBreaker precision-guided grenade is ramping up production after over a decade of development. The Air Force plans to spend $320 million to purchase 1,500 204-pound munitions designed to hit moving ground targets regardless of weather conditions or time of day. This relatively small (7 inches in diameter) yet complex weapon will be manufactured at the Tucson, Arizona plant by June 2027. European missile manufacturer MBDA will develop retractable wings that open from the bomb during launch. The latest order is comparable to historical unit costs of $213,000 per bomb.

This comes in addition to the 2,626 units ordered since 2015, covering the first five production batches, of which 840 went to the Navy. The Pentagon has suggested it may eventually order 26,610 StormBreakers, but the numbers 12,000 or 17,000 are also cited. The bombs are already permitted on F-15E attack aircraft, but are also in the process of being integrated into the Super Hornet. fighters and stealth aircraft F-35.

While not the dwarven lightning ax of the same name used by Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still has a supernatural feel to it, thanks to the laser targeting option, a three-eyed “three-eye” seeker that offers uncooled infrared. guided gun and a millimeter-range radar, all attached to a movable suspension in the nose.

These sensors can be used together to improve accuracy or used separately if a sensor type is compromised by countermeasures or if the explosive device encounters smoke, fog or rain (so StormBreaker can operate in all weather conditions). On average, the bomb falls within one meter of the designated target.

The bomb’s sensors transmit sensor data that is used to locate additional targets or update mission plans as it glides towards a target, allowing the bomb to function as a reconnaissance system. It can even be instructed to search for specific enemies using the infrared system to classify possible targets and send targeting suggestions to be approved or rejected by the human operator. This allows use in “fire and forget” mode, increasing the survivability of the launch aircraft. Source