Finland has approved the additional procurement of GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) glide bombs for its incoming F-35 fighter fleet from the US.
Included in the procurement are spare parts and accessories, transportation services, and training, repair, and support services from the manufacturer and suppliers.
The approval supplements a foreign military sales contract worth approximately 35 million euros ($40.1 million) signed in 2023 for the Raytheon-developed munition.
In 2020, the US Congress authorized the potential sale of up to 500 GBU-53/B SDB II weapons, also known as StormBreaker, to Finland as part of the F-35 package offered under the HX fighter program.
Finland procured 64 F-35A fighters in a deal worth 8.4 billion euros ($9.63 billion) in 2021. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2026, with full operational capability targeted for 2030.
“The precision-guided glide bombs now being procured will supplement our previous order as part of the F-35 weapon package,” Director of the F-35 Program, Colonel (retired) Henrik Elo, said.
“The SDB IIs are technologically advanced and will bring the F-35 armament the capability the Finnish Air Force did not previously have.
The ability of the glide bomb to strike moving targets also in challenging weather conditions will allow using the F-35 effectively when contributing to Multi-Domain Operations across all defence branches.”
Stormbreaker
Weighing about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), StormBreaker carries a shaped-charge blast-fragmentation warhead capable of defeating soft and hardened tactical targets while minimizing collateral damage.
A key feature of the weapon is its tri-mode seeker, which combines millimeter-wave radar for target detection and tracking in adverse weather or obscured environments, imaging infrared for target recognition, and a semi-active laser mode for engaging laser-designated targets.
The seeker works in conjunction with GPS/inertial navigation guidance and an onboard mission computer that enables the munition to search for, identify, and engage targets autonomously during flight.
A two-way datalink enables in-flight retargeting and target updates, giving the weapon a fire-and-forget capability against moving targets in rain, smoke, dust, or darkness.
