An F-35C flew one of the initial airborne tests of the carrier variant jet with an inert GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb-II (SDB II) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, on January 10, 2023.  

The SDB II is an air-launched, precision-strike standoff weapon that will enable the warfighter to hit moving and fixed targets in adverse weather conditions, which adversaries have relied on in the past to avoid detection. 

The air-to-surface bomb can strike targets from over 45 miles away using a combination of GPS, laser and radar technologies for precision guidance. It is part of the advanced weaponry of the F-35.  

Test data gathered and analyzed from the weapon environment and loads testing flights inform a flight clearance decision about the next phase of integration testing, airborne separation tests, which are scheduled to take place later in 2023.