The Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW) made its first appearance in combat only a week ago, but the Pentagon already plans to expand the capability of the anti-armor weapon's unique smart submunition, according to industry and government officials.

A column of Iraqi vehicles moving south out of Baghdad was attacked April 2 by Air Force B-52s that dropped six CBU-97 SFWs.

Coming two weeks after the war started, some observers wondered why the SFW hadn't been employed by U.S. forces earlier. One military planner before the war had described the Iraqi's armored and mechanized units as ideal targets for the advanced cluster munition.

So far, SFW has not emerged as a top choice for strike forces in the theater facing anti-armor threats. "This is only one weapon" for coalition forces, said Col. James S. Knox, program director for the Area Attack Systems Program office at the Air Armament Center (AAC). "Choices have been made to use a variety of weapons" against armored and/or mobile targets.