Brenda Marie Rivers
Boeing and Saab have completed testing activities for their jointly developed ground-launched small diameter bomb and are now slated to begin production of the munition, Defense News reported Monday.
GLSDB has a range of 93.2 miles and combines the features of the Boeing-built GBU-39B small diameter bomb and unguided M26 rocket.
The Boeing-Saab team expects the munition to support the militaries of U.S. allies, which use a standard launch container and multiple launch rocket system. The U.S. Army seeks similar technologies with a range of 310.1 miles as part of its Long Range Precision Fires program.
“We“™re looking mostly for us to help the U.S. military“™s partners and grow some partner capacity,“ said Jim Leary, director of global sales and marketing for Boeing’s weapons products, during a recent Association of the U.S. Army conference.
Testing of GLSDB took place at a test center in Andenes, Norway. According to the test results, the weapon can obtain flight data, measure launch container impact and reach targets 80.8 miles away.
