Boeing SDB-I/GBU-39/B

[NMaude]

While there's an SDB-II thread there is as far as I can tell no thread for the SDB-I and I'm opening it in the Military forum as that seems to be the most appropriate one to post it, so anyway:

This thread is for the air-launched SDB-I not the GLSDB (Which already has an existing thread) for any news or developments of it.

GBU-39/B vital stats:

From SDB-I wikipedia article:

The GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is a 250-pound (110 kg) precision-guided glide bomb that is intended to allow aircraft to carry a greater number of smaller, more accurate bombs. Most US Air Force aircraft will be able to carry (using the BRU-61/A rack[16]) a pack of four SDBs in place of a single 2,000-pound (910 kg) Mark 84 bomb. It first entered service in 2006. The Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) was later developed to enable the SDB to be launched from a variety of ground launchers and configurations.[17][18]

Specifications
Mass	285 lb (129 kg)
Length	70.8 in (1.80 m)[6]
Width	5 ft 3.3 in (1.61 m) (wings extended) 7.5 in (190 mm) packed[7]
Warhead	SDB I (GBU-39/B) penetrating blast fragmentation, penetrating steel nosecone[8] SDB FLM (GBU-39A/B) blast ultra low fragmentation[9] Laser SDB (GBU-39B/B) penetrating blast fragmentation, w/o steel nosecone[8]
Warhead weight	All SDB I variants 206 lb (93 kg) total[8][9] SDB I (GBU-39/B) Explosive fill: 36 lb (16 kg) AFX 757 Insensitive munition certifiedPBX[10][6] Penetration: greater than 3 ft (0.91 m) of steel reinforced concrete[6] SDB FLM (GBU-39A/B) 137 lb (62 kg) AFX 1209 MBX ("multiphase blast explosive"), composite case Laser SDB (GBU-39B/B) 36 lb (16 kg) AFX 757 enhanced blast insensitive explosive, penetrating steel case
Operational range	All SDB I variants over 60 nmi (69 mi; 111 km) when air-dropped,[11] 150 km (93 mi; 81 nmi) when launched as a part of the GLSDB,[7][12]
Guidance system	SDB I (GBU-39/B) SDB FLM (GBU-39A/B) GPS / INS Laser SDB (GBU-39B/B) GPS / INS with terminal semi-active laser guidance
Accuracy	SDB I (GBU-39) 3 ft (1 m) CEP[13][14][15]

(Photograph reproduced from the wikipedia article on the SDB-I)

 

[NMaude]

Now recently the SDBI has been used in Ukraine with varying degrees of success against the Russians with for example a number of GLSDBs being successfully spoofed by Russian GPS-jammers but on the other hand they have been used apparently with great effect by the Ukrainians in their Kursk region counter-offensive when launched from fighters/fighter-bombers.

Defense Updates recently posted a video about the use of the SDBI in the Kursk offensive:

The Ukrainian military has executed a remarkable operation, bringing the war directly to Russian territory and revealing vulnerabilities within the Russian army. Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region, fully justified as an act of self-defense, took both Russia and the West by surprise. The raid was a textbook example of operational security.

This success was achieved through meticulous planning and the effective use of Western-supplied weapons.

Ukraine’s Air Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk, released a video allegedly showing a Russian platoon base in Kursk being struck during the surprise cross-border incursion on August 6. He stated that the attack carried out with GBU-39 bombs provided by the United States, resulted in Russian casualties and the destruction of equipment.

In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how Small Diameter Bombs assisted Ukraine in the Kursk offensive ?

#defenseupdates #ukrainekurskoffensive #ukrainerussiawar

Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:55 GBU-39 SMALL DIAMETER BOMB OVERVIEW
03:05 CAPABILITY
05:04 INTEGRATION
06:28 ANALYSIS

 

[aonestudio]

Air Force Armament Museum Foundation

afarmamentmuseum.com

 

[Josh_TN]

Does anyone have any production or order number information for SDB-I? Wiki says 17,000 made but no breakdown, and in particular I’m interested in future orders and production rates. I think I read SDB-2 is going to ramp up to 2000/year, and a contract for 7 billion if all options are taken was signed concerning JDAM kit production.

 

[totoro]

quantity for usaf:
In 2022- 793
in 2023- 356 ???
In 2024- 874 (requested)

Currently USAF has procured little over 40 thousand to date. Exact figure would require more time, digging annual procurement documents for the last several years.
How many have been used up- who knows.
Also, I believe dept. of navy also procured some. Probably a few times smaller quantity than USAF.

 

[quellish]

"Hard skills, Soft Skills, Savviness and Discipline-- Recommendations for successful acquisiton: case studies of selected Boeing weapons programs"

This 2008 Air University paper looks primarily at the development of JDAM and SDB. There are a number of things of interest in the paper regarding how SDB was developed. For example, the small smart bomb programs were basically going nowhere until Jumper wanted the weapon to add ground attack capabilities to the F-22 (when the F-22 program was in trouble).

Available here:

https://prhome.defense.gov/portals/52/documents/sdef/individual%20reports/08_09__boeing_report.doc?ver=2017-02-25-232433-830

 

[NMaude]

I wonder if a turbojet powered variant (Using, say, the TJ-150) of the SDBI will be developed?

 

[TomS]

I wonder if a turbojet powered variant (Using, say, the TJ-150) of the SDBI will be developed?

Seems unlikely. I certainly can't find any evidence that Boeing has proposed such a thing. In any case, it would be basically a total redesign if you wanted it to fit the same racks/bays.

 

[Ozair]

I wonder if a turbojet powered variant (Using, say, the TJ-150) of the SDBI will be developed?

To support what TomS said I'd go further and say that something like Andruil's Barracuda 100 or 250 might be a better option that adding a turbojet engine to SDB1. Both Barracuda have a potential warhead weight around 35 lbs but faster transit to target and longer range for the 250.

 

[Josh_TN]

The -250 seems sized to SDB dimensions.

 

[NMaude]

The Barracuda 250 would certainly be a good choice.