Power Arcade: Precision weapons

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The United States (US) fired approximately 75 precision-guided weapons at Iran’s nuclear sites in the “Midnight Hammer” mission in 2025, including the first-known use of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, with 12 of them deployed. The GBU-57 is the US’ most powerful non-nuclear bunker buster bomb, developed to target buried threats.    

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Lockheed Martin Australia began indigenous production of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles at a new facility in Port Wakefield in December 2025. The combat-proven precision-guided missiles for the Australian Defence Force offer a range of over 70 kilometres at an affordable cost and reduced risk.

The US defence company Raytheon completed the trials for a ground-launched version of the StormBreaker smart weapon in 2025. The small, precision-guided glide bomb is the only fielded, network-enabled smart weapon that can defeat moving and stationary threats in all-weather conditions.  

The Israel Aerospace Industries-made Air Lora, a high-precision, deep-strike aerial-to-ground supersonic ballistic missile, and Wind Demon, an affordable next-generation air-to-surface precision-guided cruise missile, were displayed  at the Aero India 2025 air show.  

The US Air Force and defence firm Northrop Grumman successfully tested the Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) from an F-16 in December 2025. Designated as a precision strike weapon with increased manoeuvrability and survivability, SiAW possesses the latest multi-mode guidance, combining GPS with an inertial navigation system to instantly engage high-value targets.  

BAE Systems Australia tested its Razer low-cost precision-guided munition in flight trials in 2025. The Razer proved its operational readiness with direct strikes on numerous threats, and it boosts the range and accuracy of a 155 millimetre artillery shell (or similar-sized munitions) at an affordable cost.  

The US cleared arms sales to India worth $92.8 million, including 100 Javelin fire-and-forget anti-tank missile systems and 216 Excalibur precision artillery projectiles, in late 2025. These are expected to enhance the forces' anti-armour and deep-strike precision firepower against diverse threats.  

The United Kingdom’s Typhoon FGR4 jets used Paveway IV laser precision-guided bombs to hit Islamic State sites in Syria in January this year. Weighing 226 kilograms, the bomb is equipped with all-weather global positioning and an inertial navigation system.