Pentagon: Ukraine Will Be First In The World To Use GLSDB ‘Winged’ Bomb In Combat

What can the weapon do?

The US Department of Defense has clarified the information disseminated in the media about the transfer of high-precision ground-based bombs Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) to Ukraine in the near future.

Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said during a briefing on January 30 that specific delivery dates would not be disclosed by the American side, but could be announced by Kyiv.

“We will provide Ukraine with GLSDB as part of our USIA program, our USAI-funded security assistance efforts. However, for reasons of security of the operation, we are not going to confirm specific dates,” the general said.

“We will provide Ukraine with the ground-launched small diameter bomb as part of our USIA -- our USAI-funded security assistance efforts. However, due to operation security reasons, we're not going to confirm specific timelines,” the General said.

The spokesman for the defense department noted that official Washington gives Ukraine the right to talk about any arms supplies, and added that weapons will be provided as quickly as possible.

Effective weapon

Small-sized precision bombs GLSDB are high-precision winged munitions jointly developed by Boeing and Saab. It is based on the GBU-39 bomb, which was equipped with a rocket engine. Thus, the flight range of the ammunition was increased to 150 km.

The developers note that the bomb is equipped with an inertial navigation system and also has a GPS guidance system, thanks to which a GLSDB can hit the target much more accurately than standard M142 HIMARS and M270 missiles. In addition, the bomb is able to overcome electronic obstacles and can be used in any weather conditions.

Experts also note that, unlike traditional artillery systems, the GLSDB guided bomb is capable of achieving 360-degree coverage for large and small angles of attack. This allows it to fly around the terrain and hit targets located in the mountains, as well as return to a target located behind the disconnected upper stage.

Meanwhile, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the bomb has a subsonic flight speed, in contrast to ballistic missiles, which approach the target at supersonic speed. Thus, the effectiveness of using GLSDB against moving targets remains to be determined.

In addition, the range of the new bomb is shorter than that of the British Storm Shadow missile or the American ATACMS, however, the ammunition will become a tangible addition to the arsenal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, capable of delivering precise strikes against enemy rear targets.

According to Politico, the Americans have a similar version of such an air-launched bomb, but the ground-based version has not yet entered service with the US Army. Therefore, after the Pentagon successfully completes the GLSDB test, Ukraine should in fact become the first country to use this bomb in combat.