bomb launch
© SAABTest firing of ground-launched small diameter bomb
Boeing has offered the Pentagon to organize the supply to Ukraine of high-precision bombs, the so-called small-caliber bombs launched from the ground GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb), Reuters reported, citing sources in the military industry.

According to the agency, the Pentagon received an offer from Boeing, the developer of GLSDB, and is currently considering the possibility of supplying these munitions to Ukraine. The company itself is ready for mass production of this munition, which allows striking at a significant range of 150 km without the use of aviation.

The GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) combines the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket motor. M26 is an unguided 227-mm missile for M270 MLRS. The munition is launched from the same MLRS, but at the highest point the bomb separates from the missile and hits the target, as if dropped from an aircraft.

The Ukrainian military is armed with launchers for GLSDB, these are the same HIMARS MLRS or M270 MLRS, supplied by European countries. Boeing proposes to start deliveries in the spring of 2023.

However, there are many logistical obstacles to formal procurement. Firstly, The Boeing plan requires a price discovery waiver, exempting the contractor from an in-depth review that ensures the Pentagon is getting the best deal possible. Secondly, arrangement would also require at least six suppliers to expedite shipments of their parts and services to produce the weapons quickly, which is currently impossible. And, thirdly, the United States consistently opposes the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine for the same HIMARS, fearing that Kiev will begin to strike deep into Russian territory.