Lockheed Martin has acquired part of Leigh Aerosystems in a move designed to strengthen the competitiveness of its precision-guided weapon products, including the company's contender for the US Air Force 115kg (250lb) Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) requirement.
Boeing is competing against Lockheed Martin for the potentially lucrative SDB programme, which is intended to produce a new class of GPS satellite/inertial navigation-guided miniature munition. To meet the requirement for a 75km (40nm) stand-off capability, Boeing has selected the MBDA Diamond Back wing kit for its SDB, while Lockheed Martin is believed to be focusing on Leigh's wing design.
Lockheed Martin's acquisition of some Leigh assets includes the Carlsbad, California-based company's LongShot wing kit, which attaches to existing bombs, increasing accuracy and range, and is compatible with general-purpose, laser-guided and cluster bombs. The kit has already been selected for a planned extended-range version of Lockheed Martin's CBU-87/89/97-based Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser.
MBDA's Diamond Back has been tested on the 225kg (500lb) and 455kg (1,000lb) versions of Boeing's JDAMGPS-guided bomb and has performed captive flight trials as part of Boeing's SDB contender.
Diamond Back was also used for the earlier Small Smart Bomb demonstration. The USAF plans to make a final SDB selection in September.
Source: Flight International