USAF begins receiving new B-52 'smart' weapons bay launchers

Boeing has delivered enhanced internal weapons bay launchers that enable the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress to carry satellite-guided munitions in the weapons bay for the first time, following several months of successful ground and flight testing, the company announced on 13 January.
Six of the US Air Force's (USAF's) 76 B-52Hs are now equipped with the new system, according to the company. The 1760 Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade (IWBU) enhancement modifies an existing Common Strategic Rotary Launcher in the internal weapons bay into a Conventional Rotary Launcher and increases the total number of smart weapons the B-52 can carry and deliver.
The launchers, which can be transferred between aircraft, can carry, target, and launch eight Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). Future increments of the launcher are expected to add the capability to carry Joint Air-to-Surface Stand Off Missiles (JASSMs) and Miniature Air Launched Decoys (MALDs).
janes

Israel Requires From US 29,350 JDAM and Paveway kits, 3,000 Hellfire missiles and 250 AIM-120Cs

The Government of Israel has requested a possible sale of 14,500 KMU-556C/B Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) tail kits consisting of 10,000 for Mk-84; 500 for Mk-83; and,4,000 for Mk-82; 3,500 Mk-82 bombs; 4,500 Mk-83 bombs; 50 BLU-113 bombs; 4,100 GBU-39 Small Diameter bombs; 1,500 Mk-83 Paveway kits; 700 BLU-109 Paveway kits; 3,000 AGM-114K/R Hellfire Missiles, 250 AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles; and 500 DSU-38A/B Detector Laser Illuminated Target kits for JDAMs.
The principal contractors will be Boeing, Lockheed-Martin,General Dynamics and Raytheon.
Implementation of this proposed sale will require travel of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Israel.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
dsca

F-35 Weapons Tests in 2014 Focus On Amraam

With weapons testing becoming a more regular event for the F-35 program, developers are looking ahead to a fast pace of trials this year to prepare for the first operational use of the stealthy, single-engine fighter by the U.S. Marine Corps in 2015.
Delivering weapons is often described as the “business end” of a fighter's job, and the Marines are planning to declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35B using the aircraft's 2B software release as early as July 2015, and no later than December 2015. Though limited to use of three weapons—the 1,000-lb. GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), GBU-12 500-lb. Laser-Guided Bomb and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Amraam) AIM-120 series—the F-35B will surpass the current capability of the AV-8B Harrier jump jet and F/A-18C twin-engine Hornets.
aviationweek

Boeing to be awarded contract for Laser SDB

The US Air Force intends to award Boeing a contract to develop and test a new laser-guided version of its 250lb (113kg) small diameter bomb (SDB).
The company says that the weapons can carry out many of the functions of Raytheon's SDB II, which has a tri-modal seeker with millimeter wave radar, infrared, and semi-active laser guidance capabilities, at far lower cost. The new weapon is based on Boeing's laser joint direct attack munition (JDAM) technology.
Dave Majumdar-Flightglobal-The Dew Line

USA reveals weapons loads for F-15SE, F-35 in S Korean F-X competition

The US Department of Defense has formally notified congress about the potential sale of weapons for the Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which are vying for South Korea's 60 aircraft F-X III requirement.
The weapons package for the F-15SE will cost $823 million, while that for the F-35 will cost $793 million.
Key elements of both packages include 274 Raytheon AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits, 542 Boeing GBU-39/B small diameter bombs and other weapons.
flightglobal

First upgraded Tornado ECR delivered to Italian Air Force

Alenia Aermacchi, in collaboration with BAE Systems and Cassidian, its Panavia consortium partners, has delivered the first upgraded Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/ Reconnaissance) to the Italian Air Force. Alenia Aermacchi, as technical and program leader, is in the process of upgrading the avionics and systems of 15 Tornado ECR.
The Tornado ECR MLU is the upgrade of the ECR version currently in use by the Italian Air Force. Its main function is to localize and suppress hostile air defence radar emitter sources by anti-radar missiles.
The aircraft upgrade includes several subsystems and functionality additions as well as modifications to the on-board systems, avionics equipment and mission software.
The Tornado ECR MLU features an integrated IN-GPS navigation system supported by a Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR) system for approaches and ILS blind landings.
The new communication and identification system embodies the latest standards of secure communication capacities as well as a data transmission/reception capacity via Data-Link (MIDS), which integrates TACAN navigation functionalities.
The pilot and navigator cockpits feature new multifunction display suites that improve man-machine interface and reduce crew workload; the navigator cockpit features new TVTAB LCD color displays that replace former monochromatic display and the internal and external lighting systems are compatible with NVG night vision goggles.
The electronic recce capacity, a crucial component of the Tornado ECR operating mission, has also been improved through new functionalities connected with the threat identification and localization (ELS multi-ship ranging).
The new aircraft’s software allow the integration of new sensors and avionic systems and enables also the integration of a new version of anti-radiation missiles (HARM) and also the possibility of dropping GPS precision-guided weapons (JDAM).
aleniaaermacchi