Raytheon announces ground-test of StormBreaker

RTX’s Raytheon has announced the successful test of a new ground-launched version of its StormBreaker smart weapon. The prototype was developed and tested in just 50 days, a timeframe that underscores the urgent demand for new precision-strike capabilities in modern conflicts, according to a September 24 press release.

The test, which took place at a private range in the Mojave Desert, saw the ground-launched variant of the weapon fired from a commercial rocket motor. It successfully reached an altitude of approximately 6,096 metres (20,000 feet), achieving a critical milestone for the programme. Further tests are planned for later in 2025.

According to Raytheon, the new variant has been developed in response to a clear need highlighted by recent global conflicts for a smart, ground-launched, precision weapon that can operate effectively in GPS-contested environments. The company’s president of Air & Space Defence Systems, Sam Deneke, said that the weapon’s “composable” nature allowed it to be rapidly adapted for ground launch. The use of existing components from the air-launched version enabled the project to move from concept to test flight in less than two months, the company states.

The new weapon covers the same range of targets as the original air-launched StormBreaker but with extended reach and enhanced offensive capabilities, Raytheon states. The air-launched version is currently deployed on F-15E and F/A-18-E/F Super Hornet jets and is being integrated onto the F-35A/B/C. 

This ground-launched model provides a new option for land-based forces in what appears to be a growing trend for missile development. Anduril recently announced that it was developing a ground-launched version of its Barracuda-500 missile family using a rocket booster. Aselsan has also tested its Tolun air-launched munition in a ground-launched configuration.

Tech profile: StormBreaker

StormBreaker in ground-launched configuration as it accelerates away from the ground. Credit: Raytheon.

The StormBreaker, formerly known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), is an air-to-surface smart weapon developed by Raytheon. It is designed to strike both stationary and moving targets, on land or at sea, in all weather conditions. The weapon’s key feature is its tri-mode seeker, which allows it to operate effectively in adverse weather and against obscured targets, according to Raytheon. The seeker uses three different technologies:

• Millimetre Wave Radar: This mode can detect and track targets through adverse weather and smoke.
• Infrared Imaging: This provides high-resolution imagery to identify and engage targets.
• Semi-Active Laser: A laser is used to guide the weapon to its target with precision.

The weapon’s ability to receive in-flight updates via a two-way data link is also a crucial feature, allowing it to re-target or abort a mission mid-flight. The ground-launched variant takes this technology and mounts it onto a rocket motor, giving ground forces the same precision-strike capability. The air-launched version has a range of 45 miles (72 km) but the range of the surface-launched version is unknown. It is worth noting that existing ground-launched solutions like the GMLRS family of missiles have ranges in excess of 90 km, and the Precision Strike Missile up to 500 km. However, the ability to engage moving targets is likely the key differentiator for the StormBreaker. 

Calibre comment

Moving and static targets can place two very different demands upon a targeting cycle. A building, for example, is very unlikely to move in the time that it takes to plan a mission. So, the route can be meticulously planned if required, improving missile survivability. Those static targets also lend themselves to pre-planned operations that are structured around coordinated effects against an enemy’s overall force. Dynamic targeting is typically employed against moving targets or targets that have a short window of opportunity, and requires a force to have missiles and reconnaissance that are effective and essentially available in real time. Loitering munitions have come to perform this role extensively in Ukraine, but lack the speed of a missile and in some cases the lethality. A ground-launched variant of a missile like StormBreak could be very effective in striking high value targets like air defence systems, assuming that it can be provided with timely reconnaissance and targeting information. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on September 26, 2025. Credit for the lead image is Raytheon and shows the ground-launched configuration of the StormBreaker.