IAF Receives First Small Diameter Bombs

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has received the first batch of GBU-39 small diameter bombs (SDB) from the US.

Developed by Boeing, SDB is a 250lb bomb capable of high-precision and low-collateral-damage strikes.

The IAF has acquired the new bomb, named Sharp Hail, at a cost of $77m, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The weapon can carry 22.7kg of explosives, and its small size increases the number of bombs an aircraft can carry and the number of targets it can attack in a sortie.

The GBU-39 can be used in adverse weather and has a stand-off range of more than 110km due to its pop-out wings.

The IAF’s F-15Is, which can carry 20 of the bombs on its wings and fuselage, will be the first planes to have the GBU-39.