Boeing’s booming bombing

Boeing has conducted the second successful test flight of its Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) at
According to Boeing, the flight demonstrated the weapon’s enhanced blast, ultra-low collateral damage and pinpoint accuracy.
The flight, along with an autopilot performance flight on 11 July, is part of the first phase of a $27m US Air Force Joint Capability Technology Demonstration contract.
‘The FLM version of SDB replaces the normal SDB steel warhead with a carbon fibre composite warhead and enhanced blast explosive to eliminate warhead fragments and increase blast power,’ said Dan Jaspering, director of Boeing Direct Attack Weapons. ‘The resulting small, but lethal, blast area will allow warfighters to hit targets in sensitive areas while minimising the risk to nearby personnel or structures.’
Boeing claims that the all-weather SDB I weapon, which measures 1.8m and weighs 113.4kg, has a standoff range of more than 74km and, with its SDB carriage, quadruples the number of weapons that can be carried by each aircraft.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Radio wave weapon knocks out drone swarms
Probably. A radio-controlled drone cannot be completely shielded to RF, else you´d lose the ability to control it. The fibre optical cable removes...