The weapon, also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II, is currently being incorporated into the F-35 as part of the Block 4 upgrade.
Italy is acquiring the GBU-53/B Stormbreaker, also known as the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II, to equip the F-35 after it is upgraded to the new Block 4 configuration. This information, previously undisclosed, was included in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s contract for production lot 10 of the weapon.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense released a contract notice on December 29, 2023, stating that the parcel is for foreign military sales to Norway, Germany, Italy, and Finland. The full text of the notice is below:
Raytheon, Tucson, Ariz., has added all-up rounds, containers and trainers. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by August 30, 2028. The contract includes Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Norway, Germany, Italy and Finland. Fiscal year 2023 Air Force procurement missile funding is $101,394,424. Fiscal year 2024 Air Force procurement missile funding is $183,097,105. Fiscal year 2024 Navy procurement weapons procurement funding is $58,009,800. His FMS funding in the amount of $2,117,972 is being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.
It was already known that Norway, Germany and Finland had acquired GBU-53 via the FMS, but this is the first time Italy has been named among the countries that received the weapon. In fact, no information about his FMS to Italy can be found in the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). However, documents from the Italian parliament list GBU-53/B among the modernization programs for which initial funding was allocated in the 2019 budget law.
Raytheon (now RTX) describes the GBU-53/B as a network-enabled weapon and says this is one of StormBreaker’s key advantages. This feature is intended to give an aircraft the possibility to drop weapons and pass control to another aircraft connected to the same network. This is considered important for the JADC2 (Joint All Domain Command and Control) battlespace environment, as the military aims to connect sensors, platforms, and weapon systems for multi-domain operations.
The F-35 is capable of carrying eight internal and eight external Stormbreaker weapons, giving the fifth-generation aircraft the ability to attack moving targets in adverse weather conditions and address a wide range of threats and scenarios. A multi-effect warhead with shaped charge jets, fragmentation and detonation charge effects, and delayed smart fuze options adds further versatility. The total weight of the weapon is just over 200 pounds, half of which is just the warhead.
Another key feature of the GBU-53/B is its tri-mode seeker, which employs imaging infrared radar and millimeter-wave radar to see through fog, smoke, and rain as the weapon glides over 45 miles, and to detect or attack both fixed or moving targets on the ground. Ocean. Other modes available for target acquisition are the more common semi-active laser homing and GPS/INS guidance.
Stefano D’Urso is a freelance journalist and contributor to TheAviationist based in Lecce, Italy. He graduated in industrial engineering and is currently studying for a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. His OSINT technology applied to the world of electronic warfare, loitering weapons, military operations and current conflicts is one of his areas of expertise.