The U.S. Department of Defense is considering the proposal of Boeing company to supply Ukraine with ground-launched small diameter bombs (GLSDB), which can be installed on missile systems that Ukraine already has. This will allow the Ukrainian military to strike "far in the rear of Russia."
Reuters writes about it.
Sources and a document in the agencyʼs possession indicate that Boeingʼs proposed GLSDB system is one of the plans to launch new munitions for Ukraine and Americaʼs Eastern European allies.
The GLSDB system, created jointly with the SAAB company, can be delivered to Ukraine no earlier than the spring of 2023. It combines the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket engine, both of which are quite common in the U.S. stockpiles. Although the U.S. rejected requests to transfer ATACMS missiles with a range of almost 300 km, the GLSDBʼs range of 150 km will allow Ukraine to hit military targets that have been out of reach until now.
The bomb is guided by GPS, can eliminate some electronic interference, can be used in all weather conditions and has small folding wings that allow it to glide on target.
- The day before, The New York Times reported that in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired thousands of artillery shots per day, while NATO forces in Afghanistan fired 300 shells per day. According to NATO representatives, "the amount of artillery used is staggering."