US: Looking at providing Ukraine with the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb

(Washington) The supply of NATO weapons to Kyiv whilst relatively small compared to the total number of weapons actually in use by the Ukraine made a huge impact against the Russian war machine which helped slow down , halt and reverse the Russian thrust at Kyiv at the beginning of the war. (Looking at the US supplied Javelin, The British/Swedish NLAW) by no means do I belittle the Ukrainian fighting capability, but the effectiveness of NATO supplied Anti-tank weapons surprised not only the Russians, but everybody else. We see similar with the supply of anti-aircraft missiles , which have not only helped keep the Russian air force grounded over the Ukraine (That said, the Ukraine’s initial holdings of the S300, BUK, TOR and 2K22 Tunguska played a much bigger part) but have played a huge part in mitigating the use of cruise missiles, and loitering munitions that Moscow has been launching at mass at the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure (Granted a load are still getting through, but the fact remains a lot are getting taken out)

(A German supplied Gepard taking out a Russian missile/Drone) 

And then we have the poster boy for NATO supplied weapons the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System better known as HIMARS. 

People wax lyrical about the vehicle yes HIMARS is a vehicle and not a Missile as people presume, actually it’s a lightweight wheeled iteration of the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, a system still in use and which carries twice the number of missiles (12 as opposed to 6) that its younger sibling can and of which the Ukraine has received at least 10

Funny enough, Russia sports hundreds of Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, (MLRS) and has done for a lot longer than the west, but where the M270 (and the M142) differ is by fitting GPS systems onto their missiles turning them into precision guided munitions which as we have seen have been used to deadly effect inside the Ukraine. Moscow whilst having the capability to do similar, has not only been slow to do so, but only has a few systems in use. The only issue for the Ukraine is the relatively short range of the missiles (around 57 miles) saying that, the strike on the Wagner R and R base in the city of Melitopol killing between 100 to 200 Russian soldiers’ hints at the use of the ER GMLRS missile which has a range of 92 miles. 

As mentioned the missiles in use by both the M270 MLRS and the M142 HIMARS, have proven to be most effective . Kyiv would like to get its hand on the MGM-140 ATACMS missile which both systems can launch, and that has a range of 186 miles and a warhead twice the size of the normal ones. If supplied, this would be a huge game changer for the Ukraine, but the US has been reticent in supplying the Ukraine, because they fear that if launched at targets inside Russia, Moscow would up the ante with Putin doing something really stupid. 

 As a compromise , the US is looking at handing over the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB). Launched exactly like a normal MLRS missile after a set distance the missile opens up and releases a Small diameter bomb, (SDB) 

which is basically a 250lb bomb fitted with wings and a GPS system. Usually carried by planes, the SBD has proven to be a very accurate , lethal and a cost effective weapon ($40K as opposed to $100K for a normal MLRS missile) The GLSDB has a range of around 93 miles , is accurate to 1 metre, has the ability fly a programme course which would allow it to fly around missile defence systems, to track and hit moving targets and hit targets on the reverse side of slopes . 

If the go ahead is given, the Ukraine will receive a real game changer, one that would punish the Russians inside the Ukraine no end.