Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder officially confirmed at a briefing that Ukraine will receive a new GLSDB high-precision, long-range bomb from the United States. For security reasons, the terms are not mentioned, but Politico writes that it will happen today.
"As recognized last year, we will provide GLSDB to Ukraine as part of our security assistance efforts. However, due to the security of our operations, we cannot confirm specific dates," said Ryder.
Politico wrote that Ukraine will receive the first batch of completely new weapons produced by the Boeing company, which are not in the arsenal even in the United States.
The new bomb, which has a range of 150 kilometers, is expected to be a "significant opportunity for Ukraine," one US official said.
The bombs are transferred within the framework of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). It provides for the provision of funds within the limits of funding previously approved by Congress for the production of new weapons for the Armed Forces.
What is known about GLSDB
GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) is literally a small-diameter bomb that is launched from ground installations. This weapon is a hybrid of an aerial bomb and an M26 unguided missile.
GLSDB is a joint development of the American company Boeing and the Swedish concern SAAB. The manufacturers took the American GBU-39 precision air bomb and added a rocket engine from the old M26 rounds to the Western M270 and HIMARS rocket launchers.
This made it possible to launch aerial bombs from ground installations. If usually the projectiles from the MLRS fly along a ballistic trajectory, the GLSDB works differently. It gains speed and height with the help of an engine, and then, like a cruise missile, flies to the point of impact.
The U.S. military has a similar air-launched version of the bomb, but no ground-launched version is yet in the U.S. arsenal.