Ukraine reportedly uses GLSDB bombs for the first time in combat
Ukraine may have received long-range GLSDB bombs for the HIMARS systems despite no official reports on their delivery, as suggested by Russia-released images showing fragments of what appears to be new weaponry landing on Russian positions, Defence Express reports.
Among the wreckage, neatly arranged in a cardboard box, a square-shaped item with control surfaces and a barcode was distinctly visible. This turned out to be the tail section of the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), which forms part of the GLSDB when combined with the rocket motor from an unguided M26 artillery rocket. Discounting the possibility that Ukraine only received SDB bombs, GLSDB emerges as the remaining explanation.
Considering that nothing but the tail section of the bomb remained, this incident likely represents the first successful operational use of the GLSDB by the Ukrainian Armed Forces – the first instance of this system being used in combat anywhere in the world.
Ukraine was slated to become the first operator of the GLSDB, ordered specifically for the country by the US government under the USAI program, and the initial shipment was expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
The GLSDB is capable of striking enemy targets up to 150km away. With its rocket motor, the GBU-39/B bomb gains significant altitude, then detaches, deploys its wings, and glides towards the intended target.
"Russians claim that these fragments were found following a strike on Russian sites on February 13th in the area of Kreminna in the Luhansk region," the Telegram channel "Ukraine 365" added.
In late January, the Pentagon announced that GLSDB bombs would be supplied to Ukraine under bilateral military assistance agreements, without providing specific timelines. Meanwhile, media reports, citing informed sources, suggested that the first shipment was expected in Ukraine imminently.