Defense Industry Daily - USA Re-opening $1.7B GBU-39 SDB Phase II Procurement

"On April 25, 2005, DID covered the new GBU-39 250 lb. Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), a GPS-suided glide bomb whose design and pinpoint accuracy gave it the same penetration capabilities as a 2000 lb. BLU-109, while enabling US aircraft to carry eight times as many of them. The SDB is considered to be a key Air Force transformational program, with an overall value that could be as high as $2.7 billion.
DID also noted its connection to the Boeing procurement scandals, however, and the decision facing the Air Force re: whether to maintain its award of Phase II production to Boeing and Northrop-Grumman, or to re-open the competition. The USAF has now made some clear moves in preparation for re-opening the competition. Lockheed, whose protests in the wake of the Darlene Druyun scandal led to the contract's re-opening, is expected to compete against Boeing again."

And the hits keep on coming! Boeing is really starting to have a bad day so to speak. It is bad too because Boeing's SDB weapon was so much better than Lockheed's, and now Lockheed is going to get government money to catch up. Really Boeing screwed up badly with Druyun.

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