RTX: StormBreaker Cleared for Navy F/A-18, Enhances Carrier Strike Capabilities

Headline: RTX’s StormBreaker cleared for Navy use, boosting carrier strike options

RTX’s Raytheon business wins U.S. Navy approval to field the StormBreaker smart weapon on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the company announces from Tucson, Arizona. The move marks a formal transition from combat use and testing to operational employment on a frontline carrier platform, underscoring growing emphasis on precision, all‑weather strike capabilities in naval aviation.

Navy clearance confirms StormBreaker’s ability to engage both moving and stationary targets at sea and on land in fair and adverse weather, Raytheon says. The munition’s compact form factor allows a single aircraft to carry more ordnance than legacy weapons, while its loiter and terminal guidance reduce the time aircrews spend in harm’s way by enabling engagements of mobile threats from safer standoff positions. Raytheon notes the Super Hornet first carried StormBreaker operationally in 2023 and reports “exceptional performance” in combat on the platform.

RTX highlights that StormBreaker is approved for the F/A‑18E/F and F‑15E and is in the process of integration onto F‑35 variants, positioning the weapon for cross‑fleet interoperability among U.S. and allied forces. Sam Deneke, president of Air & Space Defense Systems at Raytheon, says equipping the Super Hornet with StormBreaker “increases aircraft lethality by enabling precision strike in all‑weather conditions” and provides versatility in degraded environments, improving mission completion and crew survivability. The approval is likely to influence carrier air wing tactics by shortening engagement timelines and broadening mission options against littoral and inland threats.

Collins Aerospace, another RTX business, separately demonstrates semi‑autonomous flight of a YFQ‑42A uncrewed jet using its Sidekick mission autonomy software in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The test features a four‑hour autonomous flight under human supervision as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, showcasing rapid integration, open systems interoperability and the potential to extend sensor reach and weapon effectiveness when paired with crewed fighters.

Taken together, the StormBreaker approval and Collins’ autonomy demonstration underline RTX’s push to deliver integrated weapons and autonomous mission systems that address evolving naval and air combat requirements. The company, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, employs more than 180,000 people and reports 2025 sales above $88 billion, positioning it as a central supplier as militaries modernize strike and collaborative‑autonomy capabilities.