GBU-39 Small Diameter Bom infographic
Graphic shows GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb.
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OEKRAÏNE

GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb

By Duncan Mil

November 29, 2022 - The U.S. is considering supplying Ukraine with cheap, small, precision rocket munitions. Boeing and Saab’s GBU-39 bomb mated to an M26 rocket can be launched from various systems.

According to an exclusive report from Reuters on Monday (November 28), officials at the Pentagon are considering a Boeing proposal to send its Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) to Ukraine.

It would enable Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines while addressing Western efforts to keep Ukraine supplied with ordnance as the Russian invasion depletes Ukraine’s stockpiles of other weapons.

GLSDB combines the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket motor, both of which are common in U.S. inventories. GLSDB is made jointly by SAAB and Boeing Co. In October, SAAB chief executive Micael Johansson said of the GLSDB: “We are imminently shortly expecting contracts on that.”

Reuters reported 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.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 29/11/2022; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Engineering Channel
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