RTX Develops TJ150-Powered StormBreaker Precision-Guided Weapon for Extended-Range Strikes.

RTX is preparing to flight-test a turbojet-powered StormBreaker designed to strike moving targets from greater range, Chairman and CEO Chris Calio revealed during the company’s July 23, 2026 earnings call. By adding sustained propulsion to the proven air-launched weapon, Raytheon could let U.S. combat aircraft attack mobile threats from farther outside dense air-defense zones.

The new variant uses a modified Pratt & Whitney TJ150 turbojet, but RTX has not disclosed its range, configuration, launch platforms or test schedule. A powered StormBreaker could preserve energy over longer distances and enable more flexible attack routes while retaining the weapon family’s all-weather precision against time-sensitive land and maritime targets.

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RTX is preparing to flight-test a turbojet-powered StormBreaker variant designed to extend the weapon’s standoff range against moving targets in contested airspace (Picture Source: RTX)

On July 23, 2026, RTX Chairman and CEO Chris Calio disclosed that Raytheon is developing a longer-range variant of the air-launched StormBreaker precision-guided weapon using a modified Pratt & Whitney TJ150 turbojet. Announced during RTX’s second-quarter earnings call, the initiative could extend the reach of one of America’s most advanced weapons for striking moving targets in adverse weather. The development is particularly significant as U.S. airpower prepares to operate against increasingly sophisticated and geographically dispersed air-defense networks.

RTX Moves Toward Flight Testing

Calio framed the effort as a tightly coordinated cross-company program that brings together Raytheon’s precision-weapons expertise and Pratt & Whitney’s compact propulsion technology. According to the RTX chief executive, the initiative advanced from concept to an upcoming flight-test phase in less than 12 months, underscoring the unusually rapid pace at which the company is moving the new capability toward hardware validation. RTX has not revealed the weapon’s anticipated range, official designation, external configuration, intended launch platforms or prospective customer. The company has also not disclosed the exact date or location of the planned flight test.

StormBreaker’s Existing Operational Foundation

The current GBU-53/B StormBreaker is a compact, unpowered glide weapon designed to engage stationary and moving targets on land or at sea. Its tri-mode seeker combines millimeter-wave radar, imaging infrared and semi-active laser guidance, supported by GPS-aided inertial navigation and a network-enabled data link that allows targeting information to be updated after launch. Published U.S. Air Force figures list the 204-pound weapon as having a range of up to 69 miles against stationary targets and approximately 45 miles against moving targets, although its actual glide distance depends on release altitude, aircraft speed and engagement geometry. The F-15E Strike Eagle can carry as many as 28 StormBreakers, providing considerable precision-strike capacity from a single aircraft.

StormBreaker is operational on the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E, while the U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability for the weapon on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in February 2026. NAVAIR said the weapon had already seen its first operational use from a Super Hornet during a limited early operational capability in 2025. Integration is continuing across additional combat-aircraft fleets, including the F-16C/D and F-35, potentially creating a broadly distributed precision-strike capability across fourth- and fifth-generation platforms.

TJ150 Propulsion and Manufacturing Advantages

Adding a modified TJ150 would fundamentally change how StormBreaker generates range. The existing weapon relies on its deployable wings, launch altitude and the releasing aircraft’s forward momentum to glide toward its target. A powered variant could instead use sustained thrust to preserve energy, fly more flexible flight profiles and operate at distances that are less dependent on the launch aircraft’s initial conditions. The TJ150 is a compact turbojet producing more than 150 pounds of thrust and is designed for autonomous systems and weapon applications. Pratt & Whitney said in March 2026 that more than 2,700 TJ150 engines had been delivered globally for several missile applications, giving RTX an established propulsion base rather than an entirely new developmental engine.

Pratt & Whitney has also been applying additive manufacturing to the TJ150 to reduce production complexity, cost and delivery time. Through a process known as unitization, engineers reduced the number of components in a core engine module from more than 50 to only a handful and moved the redesigned configuration from concept to testing in eight months. The company has separately demonstrated an additively manufactured turbine wheel operating at full speeds and temperatures. These advances could prove important if a powered StormBreaker moves beyond testing and requires production at the scale expected for high-intensity conflict.

Implications for U.S. Airpower

The requirement for a longer-range StormBreaker is increasingly clear. U.S. combat aircraft may be required to attack mobile surface-to-air missile systems, missile launchers, command nodes, armored formations, naval vessels and other time-sensitive targets protected by layered defenses. A powered StormBreaker could allow American aircraft to release their weapons farther from the most dangerous portions of an adversary’s engagement envelope while retaining the existing weapon family’s ability to operate through darkness, cloud, fog, smoke, dust and rain. Additional propulsion could also enable less predictable approach routes and provide greater energy for maneuvering against moving or relocated targets during the final phase of flight. This assessment remains operational analysis, as RTX has not released the variant’s planned performance parameters. 

For U.S. airpower, the proposed weapon could offer a valuable combination of standoff reach, all-weather precision and magazine depth. A longer-range StormBreaker would potentially sit between unpowered glide bombs and larger, more expensive cruise missiles, giving commanders another option for attacking mobile and relocatable targets without automatically committing scarce long-range weapons. It could also strengthen the survivability and combat relevance of aircraft such as the F-15E and F/A-18E/F while supporting future employment from the F-35. However, RTX has not confirmed that the powered variant will retain the current StormBreaker’s dimensions, warhead, seeker, data link or aircraft carriage capacity. The addition of an engine, fuel, intake and associated control systems could affect the weapon’s weight and external configuration.

RTX’s longer-range StormBreaker initiative represents a potentially important evolution of a proven American precision-strike weapon. By combining Raytheon’s tri-mode guidance architecture with Pratt & Whitney’s compact TJ150 propulsion technology, the company is seeking to increase engagement distance without abandoning StormBreaker’s defining ability to locate and strike moving targets in adverse weather.

The upcoming flight test will provide the first major indication of whether RTX can add meaningful powered range while preserving the weapon’s compact size, targeting performance and compatibility with U.S. combat aircraft. Until official test data are released, any estimate of the variant’s range would remain speculative. Nevertheless, the program demonstrates how the United States can exploit technology and industrial cooperation across its defense sector to deliver more survivable, flexible and scalable strike options for future contested operations.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.

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