Pentagon comments on transfer of GLSDB missiles to Ukraine
The U.S. has not disclosed the timing of the transfer of GLSDB bombs to Ukraine (photo from open sources)
The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed its intention to provide Ukraine with Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB). However, the department declined to disclose the timeline for transferring these munitions to Kyiv, states Defense Department spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder.
"As far as the small diameter bomb, as we acknowledged last year, we will provide Ukraine with the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb as part of our U.S., a USAI-funded security assistance effort," he said.
However, according to Ryder, for operational security considerations, the Pentagon will not confirm specific timelines for the transfer of these munitions.
"We will defer to Ukraine to talk about any delivery," noted the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) involves providing funds within the previously approved Congress funding for the production of new weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
After the announcement of new tranches of military aid under this initiative, time is needed for American companies to manufacture new batches of weapons and deliver them to Ukraine. Therefore, despite the current absence of U.S. funding for Ukraine, the announced transfer of GLSDB has been financed by previous tranches.
The Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) is a compact and precision-guided munition developed by Boeing in collaboration with the Swedish company SAAB in 2019.
These munitions combine the glider of the Small Diameter Bomb GBU-39 with the rocket motor from the M26 rocket projectile. The GLSDB is GPS-guided, capable of overcoming certain electronic countermeasures, and can be utilized in all weather conditions to engage targets up to 150 km away. It is launched from rocket systems such as the M270 and HIMARS.
Question of GLSDB transfer to Ukraine
The information about Ukraine receiving GLSDB bombs from the U.S. was reported by Politico before January 30. It was mentioned that the Pentagon successfully tested the new long-range precision bomb for Ukraine, and it was expected to arrive on the battlefield by Wednesday.
Various timelines were previously discussed in the press regarding when the Ukrainian Armed Forces might receive this type of weaponry.
The Ukrainian military requires GLSDB to supplement the limited supply of ATACMS missiles that were previously provided by the U.S. This would enable the Ukrainian Armed Forces to target enemy objectives at a range that is twice the distance covered by the HIMARS artillery rocket system.
In November of the previous year, Western media reported that the U.S. postponed the transfer of the first significant batch of GLSDB to Ukraine until 2024.
