Munitions

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II

Also known as
  • GBU-53
  • GBU-53/B
  • SDB II
  • Small Diameter Bomb II
  • StormBreaker

The GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, marketed as StormBreaker, is a U.S. Raytheon air-launched glide bomb built for all-weather attacks on moving or stationary targets. Its GPS/INS, two-way datalink, and tri-mode seeker distinguish it from the earlier Small Diameter Bomb I, while public evidence places Navy Super Hornet-carried StormBreakers in the 2025 U.S. strike campaign against Houthi targets during the Red Sea crisis.

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, Air-launched precision-guided bomb, Munitions
Image source: Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational use

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Raytheon
Type
Air-launched precision-guided bomb
Service note
2020-present
Designer
Raytheon
Unit cost
$186,000 (2015 base-year APUC current estimate)

Specifications

Class
250-pound class munition
Weight
208 pounds
Length
70 inches
Diameter
7 inches
Guidance
Imaging infrared, millimeter wave radar, and semi-active laser with GPS and inertial navigation system guidance
Datalink
Two-way Link 16 or UHF communications for in-flight target updates and post-release abort capability
Primary function
All-weather, through-the-weather attack moving and stationary targets
Range
More than 40 miles; RTX says more than 45 miles against mobile targets
Approved or integration platforms
F-15E and F/A-18E/F approved for operational use; F-35A/B/C integration described by RTX, with F-35B/C listed by NAVAIR as Department of the Navy threshold platforms
Carrier Aircraft

Official Air Force, Navy, and RTX sources document StormBreaker operational approval or integration activity across U.S. strike aircraft.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-15E Strike EagleDual-role strike fighter

Air Combat Command approved F-15E Strike Eagle operational flights with the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II on Sept. 23, 2020.

Sources: Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational use

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier strike fighter

NAVAIR declared SDB II initial operational capability on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in February 2026 after limited early operational use in 2025.

Sources: Navy declares initial operational capability for SDB II on Super Hornet

F-35A Lightning II, Conventional takeoff and landing stealth multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-35A Lightning IIStealth multirole fighter

RTX states StormBreaker is being integrated on the F-35A/B/C family; this supports integration context, not a public operational-approval claim for the F-35A.

Sources: U.S. Navy approves Raytheon's StormBreaker smart weapon for use on Super Hornet fleet

F-35B Lightning II, STOVL stealth multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-35B Lightning IISTOVL stealth strike fighter

NAVAIR lists the F-35B as a Department of the Navy threshold platform for SDB II, and RTX describes ongoing F-35A/B/C integration.

Sources: Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II), U.S. Navy approves Raytheon's StormBreaker smart weapon for use on Super Hornet fleet

F-35C Lightning II, Carrier-based stealth multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF-35C Lightning IICarrier stealth strike fighter

NAVAIR lists the F-35C as a Department of the Navy threshold platform for SDB II, and RTX describes ongoing F-35A/B/C integration.

Sources: Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II), U.S. Navy approves Raytheon's StormBreaker smart weapon for use on Super Hornet fleet

Guidance And Carriage Notes

NAVAIR describes SDB II as an air-launched standoff weapon for moving and fixed targets in adverse weather. The weapon can receive updated coordinates in flight through Link 16 or UHF datalink paths, giving air or ground controllers a post-release update and abort channel.

Seeker

Imaging infrared, millimeter-wave radar, and digital semi-active laser modes are combined with GPS/INS navigation.

Carrier status

F-15E operational approval came first; Super Hornet initial operational capability followed after limited early operational use in 2025.

F-35 and F-16 work

NAVAIR and RTX describe integration activity across F-35 variants and F-16C/D aircraft, while NAVAIR's product page lists F-35B/C as Navy threshold platforms.

Timeline

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II Key Events

  1. F-15E operational flights approved

    Air Combat Command approved the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II for F-15E Strike Eagle operational flights.

    Sources: Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational use

  2. StormBreaker appears in Yemen strike footage

    Open-source analysis of CENTCOM footage identified U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets carrying GBU-53/B StormBreaker bombs on sorties targeting Houthi forces in Yemen.

    Sources: Video reveals GBU-53/B StormBreaker deployed against Houthis

  3. Super Hornet IOC declared

    NAVAIR announced initial operational capability for SDB II on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and said the weapon had seen first Super Hornet operational use during limited early operational capability in 2025.

    Sources: Navy declares initial operational capability for SDB II on Super Hornet

Media

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II Videos

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II Images

GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, Air-launched precision-guided bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational use
GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, Air-launched precision-guided bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational use
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, Guided air-to-surface glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-69 Small Glide MunitionGuided air-to-surface glide bombThe GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition is a U.S. special-operations stand-off glide bomb developed by Dynetics, now part of Leidos, for Common Launch Tube carriage on AC-130 gunships and integration on unmanned aircraft. It combines GPS navigation, semi-active laser terminal guidance, fold-out wings, lattice tail controls, and a 36-lb blast-fragmentation warhead in a roughly 60-lb munition. Amnesty International identified GBU-69/B fragments from a November 2017 U.S. strike in Somalia, making Somalia the record's directly sourced conflict-use context.
GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit, Air-to-surface guided glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-15 Guided Bomb UnitAir-to-surface guided glide bombThe GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit is a U.S. electro-optical glide bomb built around a 2,000-pound Mk 84 or BLU-109 bomb body, with television or imaging-infrared guidance and a man-in-the-loop data link. U.S. Air Force, museum, and Air University sources document F-111F use in Desert Storm, F-15E drops during Operation Deliberate Force, enhanced GPS/INS-equipped GBU-15 combat employment in Operation Enduring Freedom, and current deployment only from the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Sources

Small Diameter Bomb II approved for operational usePublisher: Air Force Life Cycle Management Center | Note: Supports F-15E operational-flight approval, air-launched precision-guided munition context, all-weather guidance and range claims, and the official public-domain image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II)Publisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports the official GBU-53/B description, contractor, threshold platforms, guidance suite, class, dimensions, and the NAVAIR image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04StormBreaker Smart WeaponPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports Raytheon's official StormBreaker product background, tri-mode seeker, mobile-target range, manufacturer context, and F-15E/F-35/F/A-18E/F/F-16 integration context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04U.S. Navy approves Raytheon's StormBreaker smart weapon for use on Super Hornet fleetPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports F/A-18E/F Super Hornet operational approval, combat-performance context on that aircraft, and RTX's statement that StormBreaker is approved for F-15E and F/A-18E/F while F-35A/B/C integration continues. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Navy declares initial operational capability for SDB II on Super HornetPublisher: NAVAIR | Note: Supports F/A-18E/F Super Hornet initial operational capability, first operational use during limited early operational capability in 2025, tri-mode seeker and network-enabled target-update context, and F-16C/D and F-35 integration status. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Navy Declares Initial Operational Capability for SDB II on Super Hornet ImagePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for a U.S. Navy photo of an F/A-18 Super Hornet undergoing StormBreaker/SDB II weapons testing at NAS Patuxent River. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Video reveals GBU-53/B StormBreaker deployed against HouthisPublisher: The Aviationist | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: CENTCOM footage showed U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets from USS Harry S. Truman carrying GBU-53/B StormBreaker bombs on sorties targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen in March 2025. | Accessed: 2026-07-04StormBreaker advanced glide bomb lands in Yemen largely intactPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use and recovery context by reporting GBU-53/B StormBreaker wreckage in Yemen after recent combat use in that country. | Accessed: 2026-07-04SDB II Selected Acquisition ReportPublisher: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) | Note: Supports the program's procurement-cost context, including the current base-year average procurement unit cost estimate. | Accessed: 2026-07-04