Russia to Strengthen DPR’s Air Defenses to take down U.S.-supplied GLSDB Bombs

Russia is taking measures to strengthen the Donetsk People's Republic’s air defenses before Ukraine’s armed forces receive ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GLSDB) from the U.S.

"We are well aware that if the enemy obtains such weapons, we will have to push its forces farther away from the DPR’s territory to a point from where it will be physically unable to reach our communities. While this process - the liberation of the territory - is underway, we should give thought to additional air defense and missile defense measures," DPR’s acting head Denis Pushilin said on Rossiya-24 TV channel.

GLSDBs are part of the Pentagon’s $2.175 billion assistance announced on February 3.

Pushilin is certain that the supply of US bombs will not fundamentally change the situation in the combat zone, but the Russian army will have to take additional countermeasures.

Andrey Marochko, a retired colonel of the LPR People’s Militia, called GLSDBs “easy targets” for Russian air defense systems. He said the bomb’s flight velocity is much lower than that of M31 HIMSARS rockets Ukraine has. He also questioned whether the bomb’s claimed range was accurate.

Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb

GLSDB ammunition was designed by Boeing in conjunction with SAAB. It combines a GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with an M26 rocket engine. The М26 rocket engine is said to be relatively affordable, and the production of a GBU-39 bomb costs about $40,000 per unit, which makes the GLSDB an inexpensive weapon. Its main components are easily accessible for production.

SDB is a 250-pound class weapon with an Advanced Anti-Jam GPS System-aided Inertial Navigation System, combined with a multipurpose, penetrating blast-and-fragmentation warhead and programmable electronic fuze.

Developers claim that the precision of GLSDB is so high it can hit within the radius of a car tire.

Structurally, the GBU-39 is a small guided bomb that weighs 130kg. An improved GBU-53 bomb, capable of striking and moving targets, was developed on the basis of this ammunition.

The GBU-39’s wings deploy in the air, which significantly increases the operational range.

This ammunition can use missile systems that Ukraine already has – namely M270 and HIMARS launchers.