Boeing and Lockheed Martin have teamed to compete for the US Air Force and Navy Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) Increment II programme to develop a version of the 250kg (550lb) munition capable of use against moving targets in all weathers. As prime contractor, Boeing will supply its existing SDB I weapon and the datalink, while Lockheed will supply the tri-mode seeker developed for its Joint Common Missile. Boeing won the $2.7 billion contract to produce the SBD in 2001, but in February the Government Accountability Office upheld a protest by Lockheed that the competition had been tainted by the Druyun procurement scandal. The USAF agreed to recompete the second phase of the programme, worth an estimated $1.7 billion. Raytheon also plans to compete for the SDB II contract. A request for proposals is expected late this month.
Source: Airline Business