spring deliveries
The Pentagon is reviewing a proposal from Boeing to place inexpensive, small, precision-guided bombs on missiles that could reach targets within about 100 miles (roughly 161 km) of Ukraine. This development was reported by Reuters.
The idea is to stock Ukraine with a large number of compact, guided munitions that could be deployed behind enemy lines in Kyiv, enabling strikes well beyond front lines. Reuters notes that Boeing’s initiative appears as Western countries struggle to meet Kyiv’s growing demand for weaponry.
Analysts pointed out that US and allied stockpiles are thinning and that Ukraine’s need for more capable weapons grows as the conflict continues. The system Boeing proposes, known as the Small Diameter Launched Ground Bomb (GLSDB), is one of several new munition plans under consideration by the United States and its Eastern European partners.
Reuters cited documents and statements from three sources to indicate that the GLSDB could be delivered to Ukraine in the spring of 2023. The system combines the GBU-39 small-diameter bomb with the M26 rocket engine, a pairing designed to extend range while keeping unit costs relatively low.
Tom Karako, a weapons and security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters that Washington aims to provide Kyiv with a large number of launch systems at low cost. He also noted that the United States’ own weapon stockpiles are stretched, with fewer inventories on hand than would be ideal for broader conflict containment should tensions rise with other global powers.
cheap bombs
The reporting indicates that the GLSDB systems are manufactured by Boeing in partnership with the Swedish aerospace firm Saab AB. The development of precision bombs has been ongoing since 2019.
According to Boeing’s proposal to the US European Command, which governs arms supplies to Ukraine, the main components of the GLSDB would come from existing American stockpiles, Reuters reported.
The agency noted that the United States maintains a relatively ample number of M26 rocket engines, and that each GBU-39 bomb costs around $40,000, which contributes to the perceived affordability of a ready-made GLSDB solution.
Referencing Saab AB, the article stated that the GLSDB system uses GPS for guidance, can withstand certain electronic interference, and can operate in all weather conditions. The bombs are described as capable of engaging armored targets.
The GBU-39 warhead component of a GLSDB is described as having small folding wings that enable extended flight ranges, surpassing 100 kilometers when released from an aircraft and targeting objects up to about 100 centimeters in diameter, according to the material cited by the reporting team.
Additional HIMARS production
The report also revealed that at an Arkansas facility, Lockheed Martin increased production efforts to meet rising demand for mobile rocket launchers known as HIMARS. Coverage highlighted the company’s workforce expansion, noting the availability of positions related to HIMARS production, including engineering and analysis roles.
Despite the spike in demand, Lockheed Martin’s chief financial officer indicated in July that significant revenue from Ukraine was not expected until 2024. In late November, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg remarked that NATO member nations had boosted production of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition in Eastern Europe, addressing Kyiv’s needs.