It was promised more than a year ago. It should have arrived last year already. But it is finally coming to aid Ukraine’s defensive effort.
Politico reported that after a long wait, Ukraine will soon receive the high-precision Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) from the United States. It seems that the GLSDB is already on its way to Ukraine and will start hitting Russian targets in just a few days. This is a special weapon that is not even in the arsenal of the US forces.
The GLSDB is launched by a rocket and then swiftly glides towards its target. Image credit: USAF via Wikimedia
Politico reported this on the basis of anonymous sources, but previously similar officially unpublished news has been proven to be true. Moreover, the arrival of GLSDB in the defence of Ukraine is not even a big surprise.
In fact, GLSDB is kind of already late. The USA announced back in February 2023 that it would provide Ukraine with this weapon. At one point it was said that the GLSDB will be in Ukraine by the end of 2023. From the very beginning, it was clear that Ukraine would have to wait, as the mass production of GLSDB had not even started yet. This is a completely new weapon, a joint creation of Boeing and Saab Group. By the way, Taiwan needs it very much too, but agreed to wait for longer to make more GLSDBs available for Ukraine.
The GLSDB is a gliding aerial bomb GBU-39 SDB paired with an M26 rocket. The rocket allows this bomb to be launched from the ground. Specifically, the GLSDB is launched by the HIMARS and M270 systems or a special container. The GLSDB has a range of about 150 kilometres – it flies further than the GMLRS missiles currently used by Ukraine’s HIMARS.
“It gives them a deeper strike capability they haven’t had, it complements their long-range fire arsenal,” the unnamed U.S. official said.
GLSDB missile. Image credit: Boeing/SAAB
Of course, the impact of GLSDB in Ukraine will depend on how many such bombs the US can provide. Production is just starting so their number will certainly not be large. But with the GLSDB Ukraine will be able to cover a third of Crimea’s territory. In addition, Saab notes that the GLSDB is accurate to about one metre and is almost impossible for the Russians to shoot down.
Although the GLSDB takes off from the ground with the rocket, the bomb completes the final stage of its journey by gliding. It maneuvers, changes angles of attack, and makes turns. This means it has almost no IR signature to be picked up by Russian anti-aircraft missiles – a significant advantage over cruise missiles. Another advantage is the price. The M26 missiles are old and the US has a lot of them, making the GLSDB a much cheaper weapon than the new ATACMS or cruise missiles. The disadvantage of the GLSDB is a relatively small warhead, but its size is compensated by precision.
If Ukraine could get many GLSDBs, they would change many things. All major frontline positions could be attacked, Russian logistics lines could be stretched and all smaller and larger bases could be eliminated.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Glavred.info, Wikipedia