$108.1M for 13,280 “Cans of Whup-Ass”

F-16 with 4 CBU-97s(click to view full) Textron Systems Corp. in Wilmington, MA received a $108.1 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 332 Full Rate Production (FRP) Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW), in support of the F-16 aircraft. Work will be complete by March 2008, and the Headquarters Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8677-06-C-0010). There is no contract modification number at this time. What’s a “Sensor Fuzed Weapon,” and how does that relate to the title? BLU-108 submunition Each CBU-97/B SFW comprises an SUU-66/B bomb with an FZU-39 fuze. Each bomb contains 10 BLU-108/B submunitions shaped roughly like a long cylinder, and each submunition contains four projectiles that look like tuna cans. Thus, each SFW can deliver a total of 40 lethal projectiles (332 SFWs x 40 = 13,280), covering an area of 40 acres. Upon being thrown out, the projectiles use 2-color infrared and laser profiling to rapidly locate and identify their targets, such as a tank, armored vehicle, parked aircraft, et. al. If they lock on to a target, they fire a self-forging, high-velocity slug, which uses up the projectile while striking the target with the impact of a tank cannon. As part […]