Boeing

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has met the necessary U.S. Air Force requirement to support Initial Operational Capability (IOC) of the Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) system, which recently served with a squadron of Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles stationed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, England.

Boeing met the requirement, called Required Assets Available, on Aug. 28, allowing the program to proceed with its IOC.

"The SDB team demonstrated a record-breaking commitment to meeting the August date, which we set back in 2001," said Boeing SDB Program Manager Dan Jaspering. "We are pleased to provide SDB to the Air Force on cost and on schedule."

Joe Hoerter, Boeing F-15 vice president, said, "The F-15E already was the world's most capable multi-role fighter, and now, with this great weapon system, Boeing has made it even better."

The SDB I weapon system, which includes a four-bomb capacity carriage, is the first of a new generation of weapons whose small size and robust performance greatly increase mission capability.

Lt. Col. Will Reese, commander of the 494th Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, called the SDB I "a great weapon of choice," and he recognized Boeing's work to integrate the capability with the F-15E.

Col. Richard Justice, 918th Armament Systems Group commander and SDB program manager at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., also applauded the teams' work, saying, "'Ahead of schedule, under cost, exceeds requirements, suitable, effective and mission capable' are a string of words, to my knowledge, never before associated with an Air Force Acquisition Category 1D program. This program is truly one of the most remarkable successes in Air Force acquisition history."

An all-weather, 250-pound class weapon system, SDB I quadruples the number of weapons each aircraft can carry. At 71 inches long and with a standoff range of 60 nautical miles, the weapon is compatible with every U.S. fighter and bomber aircraft. Boeing will manufacture more than 24,000 such weapons and 2,000 carriages for the Air Force. The Air Force is investing $1.2 billion for production, with deliveries planned beyond 2015.

The F-15E has two Pratt & Whitney F100-P&W-229 engines, each generating 29,000 pounds of thrust, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds exceeding twice the speed of sound. The F-15E can carry up to 23,000 pounds of payload, including air-to-ground weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition, SDB and AGM-130 and air-to-air weapons such as the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile and Sidewinder.