The Norwegian government has confirmed its intention to procure the US Air Force’s new StormBreaker bombs for its fleet of F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets.
Built by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the bomb uses a combination of millimeter wave active radar homing, semi-active laser guidance, infrared homing, and GPS coupled inertial guidance and data-link to strike stationary targets at 69 miles and moving targets at 45 miles.
Raytheon said preparations are now underway to integrate the network-enabled weapon into the capabilities of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
“We see StormBreaker as an essential component in achieving the full operational capability of our F-35 fleet,” said Brig. Gen. Sigurd Fongen, head of the F-35 project office, Norwegian Defence Staff.
“The weapon will bring significant capability against stationary and moving targets at stand-off ranges, further enhancing the Norwegian Air Force’s ability to maintain national and regional security alongside our allies.”
Raytheon says the bomb autonomously detects and classifies targets in poor visibility situations caused by darkness, bad weather, smoke or dust. The StormBreaker measures at 69 inches long, 6-7 inches in diameter, weighs 204 pounds and carries a 105 pound warhead.
“StormBreaker delivers a unique combination of power, precision and operational flexibility to the joint and allied fight,” said Paul Ferraro, president of Air Power for Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
StormBreaker is a fielded munition on the US Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle, and the weapon has performed various live drops and weapons evaluations since.
The US Navy is set to declare initial operating capability on the Super Hornet after operational testing concludes. Integration activities are also underway on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as well as additional manned and unmanned platforms, according to Raytheon.
