Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs: Why This New Munition Can’t Help Ukraine
February 9, 2024
February 9, 2024 (The New Atlas) - US Announces Transfer of Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs to Ukraine (Again)...
- GLSDBs were announced in late 2022 and expected to arrive in Ukraine some time in 2023 however this announcement suggests they are only just now arriving in Ukraine;
- Russia has already claimed to have intercepted GLSDBs transferred to Ukraine before this most recent announcement;
- The Western media admits Russia has had success both jamming and intercepting similar munitions transferred to Ukraine including guided rockets fired by HIMARS and JDAM guided bombs;
- GLSDBs are manufactured by joining relatively plentiful bombs and rockets, however, the process of joining the components together limits the number of GLSDBs that can be produced at any given time;
- Like other munitions provided to Ukraine, GLSDBs will face both quantitative and qualitative limitations falling far short of Russian equivalents;
References:
Reuters - Ukraine's new 100-mile bomb from Boeing is ready, sources say (January 31, 2024):
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-new-100-mile-bomb-boeing-is-ready-sources-say-2024-01-30/
Reuters - Exclusive: U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine (November 28, 2022):
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/100-mile-strike-weapon-weighed-ukraine-arms-makers-wrestle-with-demand-sources-2022-11-28/
CNN - Russia’s jamming of US-provided rocket systems complicates Ukraine’s war effort (May 2023):
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/politics/russia-jamming-himars-rockets-ukraine/index.html
Reuters - Russia intercepts five HIMARS, JDAM bomb, 37 drones over Ukraine in last 24 hours (October 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-intercepts-five-himars-jdam-bomb-37-drones-over-ukraine-last-24-hours-2023-10-01/
Business Insider - Russia is jamming 'sophisticated' US weapons being used in Ukraine, making them useless, report says (August 2023):
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-disable-sophisticated-us-missiles-used-ukraine-gps-useless-report-2023-8
Reuters - Russia says it intercepted GLSDB smart bomb in Ukraine for first time (March 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-intercepted-glsdb-smart-bomb-ukraine-first-time-2023-03-28/
- GLSDBs were announced in late 2022 and expected to arrive in Ukraine some time in 2023 however this announcement suggests they are only just now arriving in Ukraine;
- Russia has already claimed to have intercepted GLSDBs transferred to Ukraine before this most recent announcement;
- The Western media admits Russia has had success both jamming and intercepting similar munitions transferred to Ukraine including guided rockets fired by HIMARS and JDAM guided bombs;
- GLSDBs are manufactured by joining relatively plentiful bombs and rockets, however, the process of joining the components together limits the number of GLSDBs that can be produced at any given time;
- Like other munitions provided to Ukraine, GLSDBs will face both quantitative and qualitative limitations falling far short of Russian equivalents;
References:
Reuters - Ukraine's new 100-mile bomb from Boeing is ready, sources say (January 31, 2024):
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-new-100-mile-bomb-boeing-is-ready-sources-say-2024-01-30/
Reuters - Exclusive: U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine (November 28, 2022):
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/100-mile-strike-weapon-weighed-ukraine-arms-makers-wrestle-with-demand-sources-2022-11-28/
CNN - Russia’s jamming of US-provided rocket systems complicates Ukraine’s war effort (May 2023):
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/politics/russia-jamming-himars-rockets-ukraine/index.html
Reuters - Russia intercepts five HIMARS, JDAM bomb, 37 drones over Ukraine in last 24 hours (October 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-intercepts-five-himars-jdam-bomb-37-drones-over-ukraine-last-24-hours-2023-10-01/
Business Insider - Russia is jamming 'sophisticated' US weapons being used in Ukraine, making them useless, report says (August 2023):
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-disable-sophisticated-us-missiles-used-ukraine-gps-useless-report-2023-8
Reuters - Russia says it intercepted GLSDB smart bomb in Ukraine for first time (March 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-intercepted-glsdb-smart-bomb-ukraine-first-time-2023-03-28/