The Pentagon is considering Boeing's offer to supply Ukraine with cheap, small-sized precision-guided bombs to be mounted on existing missiles. According to Reuters, this will allow Kiev to strike far behind Russian troops at a distance of up to 150 km.
The system Boeing is offering is called the Land-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), the agency said, citing industry sources. It combines the GBU-39 small diameter bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket engine. According to Reuters interlocutors familiar with the plan, GLSDB could be delivered to Ukraine as early as spring 2023.
The US Army's chief weapons buyer, Doug Bush, told reporters at the Pentagon last week that the Army is also considering speeding up the production of 155mm artillery shells, which are currently produced only by state-owned enterprises, by allowing defense contractors to produce them. The invasion of Ukraine has boosted demand for US-made weapons and ammunition, and US allies in Eastern Europe are "ordering a lot" for a range of weapons to supply Ukraine, Bush said.
