Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II Uncooled Tri-Mode Seeker Exceeds Expectations

[Someoneforyou]

Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II Uncooled Tri-Mode Seeker Exceeds Expectations
UNITED STATES - 8 AUGUST 2011

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 8, 2011 -- A series of laboratory tests on the Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Small Diameter Bomb II tri-mode seeker demonstrated that it exceeds anticipated performance parameters.

SDB II's seeker fuses millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared (IIR) and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal. The result is a powerful, integrated seeker that seamlessly shares targeting information between modes, enabling the weapon to engage fixed or moving targets around-the-clock in adverse weather conditions.

"We kept SDB II affordable by designing it to meet -- not exceed -- government requirements. The fact that the uncooled IIR sensor surpasses design specifications is a win for the warfighter and the taxpayer," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "These tests prove there's no need to increase the cost of a tri-mode seeker by adding a cooled IIR seeker when an uncooled IIR will work just as well."

Raytheon is currently producing integrated tri-mode seekers in the world's only operational factory specifically designed to assemble such seekers.

"Raytheon pioneered tri-mode seeker technology, and we're the only company that can claim its tri-mode seeker is reliable and consistently accurate," said Tom White, Raytheon's SDB II program director. "In addition to being effective, uncooled IIR sensors are affordable and have a reduced total life-cycle cost."


Source: Raytheon Company

 

[Someoneforyou]

Raytheon Completes Fifth Small Diameter Bomb II Tri-Mode Seeker in New Factory
UNITED STATES - 16 AUGUST 2011

Proven Raytheon production line has broad applications for tri-mode seeker development

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2011 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has built the fifth Small Diameter Bomb II seeker in its new factory expressly designed to assemble integrated tri-mode seekers.

"Raytheon is the only company building integrated tri-mode seekers on a 'hot' production line and we're doing it less than a year after contract award," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Air Warfare Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "Producing seekers in an active factory is one of the reasons Raytheon can keep its commitment to deliver SDB II to the warfighter on cost and on schedule."

SDB II's seeker fuses millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared and semiactive laser sensors on a single gimbal. The result is a powerful integrated seeker that seamlessly shares targeting information between modes, enabling the weapon to engage fixed or moving targets around the clock in adverse weather conditions.

"Building integrated tri-mode seekers is much more complicated than just putting together three unrelated sensors, and our fifth build proves Raytheon is the only company with the technical expertise to manufacture integrated tri-mode seekers," said Tom White, Raytheon's SDB II program director. "We're meeting predicted component build times, and as we continue to mature the program, we will find other efficiencies and cost savings we will pass on to the customer."


Source: Raytheon Company