GBU-53/B StormBreaker (SDB II)

The GBU-53/B StormBreaker is a US air-launched precision glide bomb designed to engage moving and stationary targets in poor weather, using a tri-mode seeker and in-flight target updates.

Overview

The GBU-53/B StormBreaker, formerly Small Diameter Bomb Increment II, is a joint US Air Force and Navy weapon manufactured by Raytheon, part of RTX. Air & Space Forces Magazine describes it as a small precision glide bomb intended to extend standoff attack to moving targets and adverse weather. Its defining feature is a seeker combining millimeter-wave radar, imaging infrared and semi-active laser guidance, supported by GPS/inertial navigation and a two-way datalink.

StormBreaker follows the Boeing-built GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb but adds moving-target and all-weather engagement capabilities. The US Air Force fields it on the F-15E; the Navy declared initial operational capability on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in February 2026, according to The Aviationist. F-35 integration remains a separate program of testing and clearance.

Its operational role combines compact carriage with the ability to revise an engagement after release. A Norwegian exercise demonstrated multinational control of weapons already in flight, while US operations over Yemen established a publicly documented combat record. The Aviationist’s exercise account and combat reporting illustrate those distinct uses. Public evidence does not establish a StormBreaker strike against an Iranian mobile launcher.

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