The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) will have GBU-53/B StormBreaker bombs in the arsenal of its F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters. The armament selection was revealed on Monday (18) by manufacturer Raytheon Missiles & Defense'.
“We view the StormBreaker as an essential component in achieving full operational capability for our F-35 fleet,” said Brigadier General Sigurd Fongen, head of the F-35 project office at the Norwegian Defense General Staff. Now, Raytheon has begun preparations to integrate the network-enabled weapon into the capabilities of the RNoAF.
“The weapon will bring significant capability against stationary and mobile targets at distant ranges, further enhancing the Norwegian Air Force’s ability to maintain national and regional security alongside our allies”, added Fongen.
A Stormbreaker is a smart ammunition that, according to the manufacturer, gives operators an edge in combat, hitting stationary and moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions. Network-enabled ammunition autonomously detects and classifies targets in low visibility situations caused by darkness, bad weather, smoke or dust.
The GBU-53/B was developed from the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb. It weighs about 250 pounds and has a range of approximately 110 km against stationary targets.
“StormBreaker offers a unique combination of power, precision and operational flexibility for t and allied warfare,” said Paul Ferraro, president of airpower for Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
StormBreaker bombs have been part of the US Air Force arsenal since September 2020. Integrated into the F-15E Strike Eagle, the bombs were used in several actual releases and weapon reviews since then. At the same time, the US Navy is integrating smart munitions into its fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters. Integration activities are also underway on the F-35, as well as other manned and unmanned platforms.
