The US State Department has approved Romania’s request for multiple Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-39B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) in a potential $84-million sale.
The NATO member hopes to acquire 400 GBU-39B SDB-I and a couple of GBU-39 (T-1)/B inert practice bombs with fuzes from Boeing.
They will be accompanied by GBU-39 tactical training rounds, common munitions built-in-test/reprogramming equipment, and ADU-890E computer test set adapter groups, in addition to containers, spare parts, logistics, and program support.
This is part of Bucharest’s efforts to participate in NATO coalition air operations and improve its defense capabilities, given that the air force operates a Lockheed Martin-manufactured F-16 fleet capable of deploying the American-made precision-guided bombs.
The Balkan country also ordered 32 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, which can launch the SDBs, in an approximately $6.5-billion deal in November last year. These are expected to be delivered in the early 2030s.
Small Diameter Bombs
Boeing’s SDBs have been operational since 2006, and are described as a “low-cost and low collateral-damage precision strike weapon.”
Each guided air-to-surface weapon is 70.8 inches (180 centimeters) long and 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) wide and can hit targets beyond 60 nautical miles (69 miles/111 kilometers) using an inertial navigation system and global positioning system.
Romania’s neighbor Ukraine has used the SDBs against Russian targets since late 2023 and received another batch as part of the US Air Force’s $6.9-billion order in October 2024.
