Raytheon completes initial flight test of Small Tactical Munition Phase II guided bomb

TUCSON, Ariz., 11 April 2012. Raytheon Company's (NYSE:RTN) Small Tactical Munition (STM) Phase II, a guided bomb designed for unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), scored a direct hit on a target during the weapon's first guided flight test, says a company spokesperson. During the test at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., a Raytheon Cobra UAS released the STM Phase II in flight. The weapon, after safely separating from the UAS, used both GPS/INS and semi-active laser for guidance to the target.

STM Phase II is well suited to weaponize Shadow-class UAS and counterinsurgency aircraft “because STM is a mature, precise, and affordable weapon," explains Dr. Thomas R. Bussing, vice president of Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "STM gives warfighters flexibility because it enables them to engage moving and static targets with minimal collateral damage."

STM Phase II is a 13.5-pound, 22-inch long, precision-guided, gravity-dropped bomb specifically designed for employment from manned and unmanned aircraft systems. STM Phase II is more than 2 inches shorter than the Phase I design and has foldable fins and wings, enabling two weapons to be placed inside the U.S. military's common launch tube.