An SDB moments before impacting a hardened aircraft shelter during testing. Ukraine, which already employs the small glide bomb, is to receive additional units under an FMS deal announced by the US DoD. (US Navy)
The United States is to send Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) to Ukraine to better enable the country's air force to conduct standoff strikes into occupied and Russian territory.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) disclosed the pending transfer in a wider contract notification posted online on 30 September that includes the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal for Ukraine.
Also known as the SDB I (the SDB II is named StormBreaker and built by Raytheon RTX), the GBU-39 has a standoff range of approximately 100 km. With a weight of 130 kg, a length of 1.8 m, and a diameter of 0.9 m, the 250 lb-class weapon quadruples the number of weapons each aircraft can currently carry.
Its typical objective set includes hard and soft targets comprising command, control, and communications bunkers; air-defence assets; petroleum, oil, and lubricant sites; airfield targets; infrastructure targets; missiles; artillery; and anti-aircraft artillery. The SDB utilises an advanced anti-jam GPS-aided inertial navigation system (AJGPS/INS) to provide guidance to the co-ordinates of a stationary target, and is able to penetrate more than 1 m of steel-reinforced concrete.
The Ukrainian Air Force is known to have already utilised the SDB aboard MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum' and Sukhoi Su-27 ‘Flanker' fighters that have been modified with new underwing pylons. The SDB is also compatible with Ukraine's recently delivered Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft and the Saab Gripen Cs that are expected to be delivered following the recent pledge by the Swedish government to transfer spare parts ahead of an anticipated transfer.
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
