Reuters reports: US to dispatch enhanced long-range bombs to Ukraine
The previous iteration of the weapon was found to be ineffective against Russian electronic warfare. According to a Reuters report, the US has upgraded the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to better combat Russian jamming and plans...
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The previous iteration of the weapon was found to be ineffective against Russian electronic warfare.
According to a Reuters report, the US has upgraded the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to better combat Russian jamming and plans to reintroduce them to the battlefield in Ukraine within days.
Developed collaboratively by Boeing and SAAB AB, the GLSDB merges the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb with the M26 rocket motor, resulting in a weapon that boasts a range of around 100 miles.
The administration of former President Joe Biden sent an undisclosed number of GLSDBs to Kiev; however, several months have passed since Ukraine last deployed them against Russian forces after their ineffectiveness became evident last year, sources told Reuters.
According to a July report by the Wall Street Journal, Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities rendered precision-guided Western munitions—such as the GLSDB and GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shells—ineffective. With their guidance systems compromised, some of these weapons were reportedly retired within weeks of deployment.
In the interim, Boeing has implemented several upgrades, including reinforced internal connections to improve resistance to jamming. Sources indicate that at least 19 GLSDBs have been test-fired in recent weeks to evaluate the enhancements. The US has amassed a substantial quantity of these relatively inexpensive bombs in Europe and is reportedly “poised” to resume shipments to Kiev soon.
This potential replacement comes as reports suggest Ukraine has exhausted its stockpile of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a longer range of 300km.
Kiev began employing ATACMS missiles for strikes into internationally recognized Russian territory in autumn 2024, focusing on border regions such as Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Rostov. However, the stockpile was completely depleted by late January, as reported by AP.
Moscow has cautioned the US and its allies against permitting long-range Ukrainian strikes, claiming that such actions make NATO a direct participant in the conflict due to Kiev’s dependency on Western-supplied weaponry.
In response to Ukraine's initial ATACMS strikes in November of last year, Russia launched its new hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile targeting the Yuzhmash military-industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepr.
Aarav Patel contributed to this article for TROIB News
According to a Reuters report, the US has upgraded the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to better combat Russian jamming and plans to reintroduce them to the battlefield in Ukraine within days.
Developed collaboratively by Boeing and SAAB AB, the GLSDB merges the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb with the M26 rocket motor, resulting in a weapon that boasts a range of around 100 miles.
The administration of former President Joe Biden sent an undisclosed number of GLSDBs to Kiev; however, several months have passed since Ukraine last deployed them against Russian forces after their ineffectiveness became evident last year, sources told Reuters.
According to a July report by the Wall Street Journal, Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities rendered precision-guided Western munitions—such as the GLSDB and GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shells—ineffective. With their guidance systems compromised, some of these weapons were reportedly retired within weeks of deployment.
In the interim, Boeing has implemented several upgrades, including reinforced internal connections to improve resistance to jamming. Sources indicate that at least 19 GLSDBs have been test-fired in recent weeks to evaluate the enhancements. The US has amassed a substantial quantity of these relatively inexpensive bombs in Europe and is reportedly “poised” to resume shipments to Kiev soon.
This potential replacement comes as reports suggest Ukraine has exhausted its stockpile of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a longer range of 300km.
Kiev began employing ATACMS missiles for strikes into internationally recognized Russian territory in autumn 2024, focusing on border regions such as Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Rostov. However, the stockpile was completely depleted by late January, as reported by AP.
Moscow has cautioned the US and its allies against permitting long-range Ukrainian strikes, claiming that such actions make NATO a direct participant in the conflict due to Kiev’s dependency on Western-supplied weaponry.
In response to Ukraine's initial ATACMS strikes in November of last year, Russia launched its new hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile targeting the Yuzhmash military-industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepr.
Aarav Patel contributed to this article for TROIB News
