By carrying the GBU-39, the MQ-9 Reaper could play a larger role in the Air Force’s versatile mission sets.
A significant update to the U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper drone appears to be making progress. Earlier this month, photos depicting Air Force airmen loading a GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb onto the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were released by the service. According to captions, the 432nd Maintenance Group Weapons Standardization team worked in collaboration with Air Combat Command and the 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron to carry out the loading procedure at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. Notably, the incorporation of the Dual Carriage System enables the UAV to carry a pair of GBU-39 bombs instead of one. The Reaper’s ability to carry a wide array of munitions thanks to this system will enhance the drone’s lethality in the air.
Introducing the GBU-39
Back in 2017, the initial contract awarding General Atomics Aeronautical System to perform this integration was granted. The GBU-39 bomb is an extended range, all-weather, day or night guided munition that relies on GPS for navigational purposes. As an insensitive and penetrative bomb, the GBU-39 is perhaps best known for its distinctive deployable wings that open upon release. With these wings, the bomb is able to glide for up to 50 miles before hitting its intended target with precision. As detailed by the Air Force, the bomb can be launched from fighter jets and bombers in internal bays or on external hard points while decreasing collateral damage and the logistical footprint in the process. The service has elaborated that the bomb is capable of standoff ranges in excess of 40 nautical miles: “The system can be targeted and released against single or multiple targets. SDB target coordinates are loaded into the weapon before release either on the ground or in the air by the aircrew. Once the weapon is released, it relies on GPS/INS to self-navigate to the desired impact point.” The GBU-39’s presence in Ukraine as part of the country’s defensive efforts against Russian advances has popularized it further. Notably, the GBU-39 has proved to be largely resilient against Moscow’s sophisticated electronic warfare systems.
Introducing the Reaper drone
For nearly two decades, the MQ-9 Reaper drone has played a critical role in the Air Force’s arsenal. The UAV, often referred to as the “Predator B,” is primarily used as an intelligence-gathering asset but can also carry out dynamic execution missions. The versatile UAV can also perform surveillance missions, close air support, route clearance, search and rescue, and precision strike operations. Over its service life, the Reaper has undergone several modernization overhauls so that the UAV retains an edge over its counterparts. More recent iterations of the drone are capable of firing the AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile in addition to the AGM-114 Hellfire, laser-guided GBU-12 Paveway II, and GPS-guided bombs like the GBU-38.
Now that the Reaper appears to be capable of launching GBU-39 munitions, the tried and trusted drone could play a larger role in the Air Force’s versatile mission sets.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: BlueBarronPhoto / Shutterstock.com
