New Weapons for Ukraine: How the Replacement of ATACAMS with GLSDB Will Affect the Course of Hostilities.

The U.S. Will Provide Ukraine with GLSDB Bombs Instead of ATACMS Missiles

According to an American official and a Ukrainian deputy in the Defense Committee, Ukraine has run out of all long-range ballistic missiles ATACMS. The U.S. provided Ukraine with fewer than 40 of such missiles. Now, the U.S. will replace ATACMS with GLSDB bombs, which are already in stock in Europe. The range of GLSDB has been reduced compared to ATACMS, however, the cost of one ballistic missile is significantly higher than the cost of a small diameter bomb.

GLSDB is a precision weapon launched from HIMARS with a range of 160 kilometers. The rocket booster accelerates to supersonic speed and drops the bomb at an altitude of 10 kilometers, where it begins to glide toward the target. GLSDB will overcome occupied territory and reach Crimea. The launch of these bombs is carried out from a safe distance, allowing to avoid interference from Russian electronic warfare systems.

The cost of GLSDB is significantly lower than that of ATACMS, but to truly affect the front, thousands of such bombs and booster units are needed. It should also be noted that GLSDB has a satellite guidance system, allowing it to bypass obstacles.

Although GLSDB will be a weak substitute for ATACMS, they will fill their niche in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, especially considering their cost. Moreover, all stocks of ATACMS have already been depleted.