SDB II Scores Hits in Flight Tests

Dragon029 · by **Dragon029** » 28 Sep 2018, 03:47

I think he's talking about having external racks of SDBs.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 21 Jan 2019, 11:55

GBU-53, now known as stormbreaker (formerly SDB II) quietly got its lot 5 order in Dec 2018 for US$141m or ~US$112k each. The deal for 1,260 splits between 750 for USN and 510 for USAF. This brings total orders to 2,532.

https://thedefensepost.com/2018/12/19/r ... 1-million/

This contrasts with GBU-39 whose orders had reached 7,000 with 1260 BRU-61 racks by lot 5 and was generating 2,000+ production numbers per lot from lot 6. However, GBU-39 is significantly cheaper due to its static JDAM like capability that do not by itself have moving targets capability (Boeing is adding a laser seeker to make it a laser SDB). GBU-53 is more expensive due to the a different and more sophisticated seeker and can handle moving targets. The original program acquisition was 12,000 for USAF and 5,000 for USN/USMC.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 21 Jan 2019, 17:44

Not to be a stickler for details, but "is adding" sounds like a future (ie not yet done) feature.

The Laser-SDB was declared IOC in 2014.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 28 Jun 2019, 01:00

Yet another reason why I think low cost weaponry used wisely trumps low numbers of high costs PGMs.

Yesterday PGMs, today Golden Horde swarms.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... orde-swarm

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This as Janes reports the Stormbreaker will IOC with the F-15E later this year.
https://www.janes.com/article/89419/sto ... -this-year

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 28 Jun 2019, 01:51

Can't wait till APKWS & LZunit become more the norm.

marauder2048 · by **marauder2048** » 28 Jun 2019, 02:48

SDB II is nearly $200k a pop. That's not low cost and nearly MALD "classic" cost.

I gather than something that sits in-between SDB II and MALD-N was
Gray Wolf's goal with a particular emphasis on driving down the cost of miniature turbojets
based on the OTA they had with TDI for Gray Wolf.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 28 Jun 2019, 03:18

$200k was lot 3 SDB II costs (https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/1062990/)

lot 4 dropped to $135k a pop (https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/1452468/)
lot 5 dropped further to $112k a pop (https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/1717218/) which already achieves the targeted cost goal of below $115k.

optimist · by **optimist** » 28 Jun 2019, 03:33

Have you seen this one?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 28 Jun 2019, 03:43

LSDB should be relatively inexpensive too.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 28 Jun 2019, 04:17

Boeing has done a great job keeping SDB I in the fight. The last GBU-39 oontract including 39B was $33k a pop. Even budgeting is at $38k a pop (SDB II budget is between $139-$158k a pop).

That's why the FY 2020 budget is still 7000+ SDB I with 1000+ SDB II in terms of acquisition numbers.

marauder2048 · by **marauder2048** » 28 Jun 2019, 04:40

Gross/Weapon System Unit cost for SDB II was $198k last year. It's $180k this year.

That's not cheap.

GBU-39 purchases are mainly to restore the burn down experienced by US and allied usage;
if Boeing had any interest in keeping GBU-39 in the high-end fight you would have seen
datalink, turbojet retrofits and non-LJDAM seeker options by now.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 28 Jun 2019, 04:47

marauder2048 wrote:Gross/Weapon System Unit cost for SDB II was $198k last year. It's $180k this year.

That's not cheap.

GBU-39 purchases are mainly to restore the burn down experienced by US and allied usage;
if Boeing had any interest in keeping GBU-39 in the high-end fight you would have seen
datalink, turbojet retrofits and non-LJDAM seeker options by now.

Numbers quoted are based on budget. That's higher than actual cost which is what is actually contracted with the supplier. The contract announcements and values are already provided earlier.

marauder2048 · by **marauder2048** » 28 Jun 2019, 05:07

The gross weapons system unit costs are definitive since the individual contracts on defense.gov
don't aren't necessarily include long-lead, support or contracts valued under $7 million.

If the actual contracted price is different you'll see that credit being reprogrammed.

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 28 Jun 2019, 05:13

Bear in mind that the USAF could have chosen the SDB II, rather than SDB I, to replace those "burn down" usage. The point is the costs goes up the more gadgets that's put on the bomb. Put a turbojet, the costs up by a few hundred $ more.

They did compete with a Harris datalink which was the GBU-40. Since Boeing lost, the USAF is not going to buy that. That's a moot point. The only way they can now compete is to keep SDB I going. The laser seeker addition was imho a smart move.

On gross weapon cost, one can add the incremental for a more complete pic but at flyaway cost, budget is not equal to actual.

marauder2048 · by **marauder2048** » 28 Jun 2019, 06:19

weasel1962 wrote:Bear in mind that the USAF could have chosen the SDB II, rather than SDB I, to replace those "burn down" usage.

Given that Raytheon can't produce SDB II (it's in LRIP) at a rate that would replenish peacetime and war reserve
stocks and that you can't use OCO money for GBU-39 for GBU-53...

weasel1962 wrote:The point is the costs goes up the more gadgets that's put on the bomb.

Which would have to be the case for SDB I since you can't "Golden Horde" network without a datalink.

weasel1962 wrote:On gross weapon cost, one can add the incremental for a more complete pic but at flyaway cost, budget is not equal to actual.

It's the only apples-to-apples cost comparison that's available.