15:22 GMT, July 29, 2009 EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. | Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) completed a series of captive carry flight tests of its proposed solution for the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II competition, demonstrating the weapon's form-factored seeker is ready for guided test shots.

"The test series demonstrated our form-factored tri-mode seeker and guidance receiver navigator are ready to enter the engineering and manufacturing development phase," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile System's Air Warfare Systems' product line. "We have proved the technical readiness of a superior and affordable solution."

Engineers tested the weapon's integration and guidance receiver navigator on a U.S. Air Force F-15E and also conducted exhaustive seeker-performance evaluations of the weapon on a U.S. Army UH-1 helicopter.

The UH-1 enabled the Raytheon team to conduct more seeker data passes at a much lower cost on all required targets than would have been possible with a fast-moving jet aircraft. Using the helicopter also allowed engineers to thoroughly evaluate the GBU-53/B's terminal approach to targets, something not practical with fighter aircraft test platforms.