Boeing Selected for Small Diameter Bomb Contract
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 28, 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force has selected Boeing [NYSE: BA] for a contract worth approximately $188 million for the continued development and production of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). Upon completion of design and development, the program is estimated to generate $2.5 billion in sales to the USAF.
The SDB is a 250-pound class near precision-guided weapon launched from a fighter, bomber or unmanned aircraft that will destroy targets from a range of greater than 40 miles and penetrate more than 3 feet of steel-reinforced concrete.
Boeing will build an estimated 24,000 weapons and 2,000 carriages over the next ten years at its production facility in St. Charles, Mo., with the first delivery scheduled in October 2005. The SDB will be fielded on the F-15E and subsequently on the F/A-22, F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter), Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems, and almost all other weapons platforms.
"Aircrews must have an all-weather precision weapon available that can destroy a wide range of targets with lethality while minimizing collateral damage," said George Muellner, senior vice president and general manager, Air Force Systems, for Boeing. "SDB is that weapon and our talented team is committed to delivering it."
The SDB size, a compact 71 inches long and 7.5 inches wide, allows for an increased weapons load on each aircraft. Carriages designed by Boeing hold four SDBs (internally or externally) and quadruple the number of possible targets destroyed per combat sortie.
"We're very proud of this weapon and our selection by the U.S. Air Force. Our win is the direct result of a magnificent team," said Dan Jaspering, SDB program manager for Boeing. "That team includes MBDA Missile Systems, Intercontinental Manufacturing Company, HR Textron, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Harris Corporation, BAE Systems, Sargent Fletcher, KDI Precision Products, Engineered Plastic Designs, and SRI International."
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, or IDS, is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
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Contact Info:
William Barksdale
Air Force Systems
office: (314) 232-0860
mobile: (314) 707-3294
mailto:william.a.barksdale@boeing.com
Madonna Walsh
IDS News Bureau
office: (314) 234-1362
mobile: (314) 705-0717
mailto:madonna.a.walsh@boeing.com
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