SDB Increment II

GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) Stormbreaker is a United States Air Force (USAF)-led, joint interest ACAT-IC program with the Department of Navy (DoN). SDB II delivers and sustains GBU-53 weapons capability for the warfighter to attack mobile and stationary targets at standoff and stand in ranges through all weather. SDB II addresses the following warfighter requirements: precision munitions capability, attack moving and stationary targets, adverse weather operations, multiple kills per pass, multiple ordnance carriage, reduced munitions footprint, increased weapons effectiveness, minimized potential for collateral damage, Military-code (M-code) Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial navigation, reduced susceptibility to anti-jam / anti-spoofing countermeasures, and Network Enabled Weapon (NEW) capabilities via Link-16. SDB II is a key component of Air Force's Global Strike Task Force CONOPS. The threshold aircraft for the USAF is the F-15E and the threshold aircraft for the DoN are the F-35B and F-35C. Funding for integration of threshold aircraft for F-15E, F-35B, and F-35C is in the SDB II program. Objective aircraft include the F/A-18E/F, F-15EX, F-35A, AC-130, F-16, F-22A, B-1B, B-2, B-52, A-10, and MQ-9. Funding for each objective aircraft is provided by that aircraft program. GBU-53 SDB II is compatible with the BRU-61 and BRU-55 miniature munitions carriages, the CNU-660/E weapon carriage container, the Common Munitions Bit and Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE), and the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS). The SDB II produces and fields GBU-53s in single-weapon USAF storage containers or dual-weapon DoN containers. DoN IOC declared F/A-18E/F in January 2026. The Milestone Decision Authority approved APB updates in May 2022 and again in May 2025 to incorporate the updates to USAF and DoN inventory objectives. The program is proceeding to a Full Rate Production (FRP) decision in FY 2027. SDB II implements tenets of Open, Agile, and Digital acquisition for any new subsystem hardware or software development. Integrates the system in weapon portfolio trade space studies by conducting trade studies, system engineering, test activities, and system modeling and simulation.