The Wall Street Journal reports:

The next batch of U.S. military aid for Ukraine that could be announced as soon as Friday is expected to include longer-range smart bombs for the first time, people familiar with the matter said.

The new smart weapon is a Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, or GLSDB, a precision-guided 250-pound bomb that is strapped to a rocket. It has a range of 94 miles, which is farther than any bomb the U.S. has so far provided to Ukraine.

The expected delivery of longer-range weapons comes as the U.S. and European allies have moved to provide modern battle tanks and other advanced weaponry to Ukraine ahead of an expected Russian offensive. The U.S. has pledged to provide Ukraine with more than $27 billion in military aid.

The GLSDB can be fired from rocket-launchers such as the Himars system already supplied by the U.S. to Ukraine. The bomb is equipped with wings allowing it to glide to its target and a rocket motor to give it extra range.

This allows it to be targeted accurately as though it was launched from an aircraft, without putting a pilot at risk and at lower cost. The bomb also has advanced tracking systems to make it more accurate, with a claimed precision to within the width of a car tire. [Continue reading…]