Boeing to Equip Israel with Smart Bombs

The GBU-39/B bombs are an advanced generation of long-range (64 km) bombs with penetration capabilities for precision strikes against terrorists in Gaza while minimizing civilian casualties

By Eyal Boguslavsky, Israel Defense, 15/10/2023

https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/59912

Boeing has started supplying smart munitions to Israel. Bloomberg’s website quotes an American military official, Brad Bowman, who reports that an Israeli Air Force transport plane recently flew with GBU-39/B 250-pound (113 kilograms) bombs from the United States to Israel.

In 2021, Israel purchased 1,000 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) for $735 million. The SDB (small diameter bomb) is an air-launched bomb capable of hitting a target from a range of 40 miles (64 kilometers) and provides the means for precise targeting of militants in Gaza while minimizing civilian casualties, Bowman said.

The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb

The SDB, known in the Israeli Air Force as “sharp hail” is carried on F-15I "Ra'am" (thunder) aircraft. It represents an advanced generation of long-range bombs with penetration capabilities against fortified targets. Its small size provides a significant advantage because a single aircraft can carry multiple SDBs due to its compact dimensions.