Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it received a $110 million production order from the U.S. Air Force late last year for FMU-167/B, also known as the Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze.
The Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze is an all-electronic, cockpit programmable, intelligent fuze capable of destroying deeply buried targets. It provides multiple delay arming and detonation times, as well as a void-sensing capability, which allows for precision activation of the fuze.
In other words, using this fuze a bomb can punch through meters of concrete and rock while counting voids that are indicative of a deeply buried underground complex. By counting these voids, the “smart” fuze can detonate at a preprogrammed location within the structure, taking out an adversaries’ carefully protected high-value assets.
In a statement Pat Nolan, vice president, missile products, Northrop Grumman said that:
‘Northrop Grumman’s Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze takes the guesswork out of understanding the timing required to reach the target.
‘We continue to make investments in sophisticated fuzes to help ensure U.S. war fighters and our allies are equipped with the best tools to complete their missions.’
