US considers transferring GLSDB munitions to Ukraine, which is a combination of an aerial bomb and a rocket motor

The US Department of Defense is considering Boeing’s proposal to supply Ukraine with Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB).

The Reuters reported about this.

These munitions would allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike targets in the rear of Russian troops at a distance of up to 150 km.

The rocket systems that are already in Ukraine’s possession, namely M270 launchers and HIMARS, can use these munitions.

GLSDB is made by SAAB AB (SAABb.ST) jointly with Boeing Co (BA.N), and has been in development since 2019. GLSDB may be delivered as early as spring 2023, according to a document reviewed by Reuters and people familiar with the plan.

The GLSDB combines the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket motor.

According to a Boeing proposal to the US European Command (EUCOM), which is overseeing weapons headed to Ukraine, the main components of the GLSDB would come from current US stores.

It is noted that the M26 rocket motor is relatively abundant, and the GBU-39 costs about $40,000 each, making the completed GLSDB inexpensive and its main components readily available for production.

In terms of structure, the GBU-39 is a small guided bomb weighing 130 kilograms. Now, an improved GBU-53 bomb has been created on the basis of ammunition, capable of hitting moving targets.

The wings of the GBU-39 deploy in the air, which significantly increases the range of damage.

The weapon uses a global positioning system (GPS) and an inertial navigation system to target.

As previously reported, the United States asked Greece to give up the Russian S-300 and Tor-M1 SAMs, so that later, probably through the United States, they would be transferred to Ukraine.