A Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies over Norway (Norwegian Armed Forces)
BELFAST — The US State Department has approved a $293 million potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Norway for Raytheon-made GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) IIs for use on F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.
Announced Wednesday, Oslo has specifically requested procurement of 580 SDBs, also known as StormBreaker, which follows an earlier approved sale for 20 of the precision guided weapons, bringing the total on order to 600 units.
“The proposed sale will improve Norway’s capability to meet current and future threats by bolstering operational readiness while enhancing air and defense capabilities with a modernized weapon to support the new F-35A fleet,” said the US State Department.
Washington noted that SDB-II weapon load crew trainers, practical explosive ordnance disposal trainers, munitions support, spare parts and other accessories are to be included in the weapons package.
Once delivered to Norway, the munitions will be stored in twin F-35A weapons bays, which can each hold up to four of the 204-pound bombs.
Norway has ordered 52 F-35A fifth-generation jets, to be based out of Ørland Air Base with some of the fleet to also be deployed from Evenes Air Base for NATO Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions across the High North. Oslo is due to receive all 52 jets by 2025, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Made with a tri-mode seeker integrated with imaging infrared and millimeter wave radar capable of navigating all weather conditions, StormBreaker has been designed to strike fixed or moving targets on land or at sea, and boasts a range of 45 miles (72 kilometers), according to Raytheon.
The manufacturer was awarded a $320 million contract by the US Air Force for production of 1,500 StormBreakers in March 2023. The bomb has already been fielded by US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets and can also be carried by F/A-18 Super Hornets.
US OKs $15 Billion Air Defense Deal With Poland
In other foreign military sales news, on Wednesday, the State Department also cleared Poland to potentially acquire an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) and supporting equipment in a FMS estimated at $15 billion.
Warsaw has requested to initiate the second phase of a two-phase program listed as Patriot Configuration 3+ and that includes the procurement of up to 644 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC) 3 Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles, 48 Patriot M903 launch stations, 12 Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors (LTAMDS) and other related equipment.
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s missile defense capability and contribute to Poland’s military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” said the US State Department.
Foreign military sale notifications are not final, and unit and dollar amounts can change during further negotiations.
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