Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE:RTX) business, announced on Friday, February 20, 2026, that the U.S. Navy has officially approved the StormBreaker® smart weapon for operational use on the F/A-18-E/F Super Hornet.
The milestone marks a major leap in naval aviation lethality, providing the fleet with its first network-enabled, all-weather weapon capable of hitting moving targets at sea or on land from standoff ranges.
The StormBreaker, also known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), features a sophisticated tri-mode seeker that integrates millimeter-wave radar, imaging infrared, and semi-active laser guidance.
This "all-seeing" technology allows the 204-pound munition to track targets through fog, smoke, and heavy rain—environments that typically shield adversaries from conventional precision strikes.
Its compact design is a force multiplier, allowing a single Super Hornet to carry more munitions per sortie and engage a higher volume of surface targets than previously possible.
The Navy previously validated the weapon's performance during limited early operational use in 2025, following the Super Hornet becoming the first Navy aircraft to carry the bomb in 2023.
The weapon is already operational on the Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle and is currently undergoing integration for the F-35A/B/C Lightning II fleet.
Beyond its air-launched success, Raytheon recently demonstrated a ground-launched variant of the StormBreaker, developed in just 50 days, highlighting the "composable" nature of the tech as RTX scales production to meet rising global demand for precision munitions.