An unexploded precision glide bomb fired by US forces against Houthi militants was found in Yemen’s southern Shabwah governorate, sparking fears of it falling into enemy hands.
Shortly after a Yemeni platform published an image of the munition lying on the sand, open-source intelligence accounts identified it as a GBU-53/B StormBreaker air-launched precision-guided glide bomb.
They further noted that US F/A-18E aircraft were seen equipped with the standoff weapon for use against the Iran-backed rebels in March to end their attacks against vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
What appears to be an unexploded GBU-53/B “StormBreaker” Air-Launched Precision-Guided Glide Bomb has been discovered in the Shabwah Governorate of Central Yemen. F/A-18E “Super Hornets” onboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) were seen equipped with the GBU-53/B for strikes… pic.twitter.com/IHQdsOTuLl
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 25, 2025
Although the American-made bomb was discovered in an area that is apparently not under Houthi control in Yemen, Washington’s adversaries, such as Iran and even Russia, could still get their hands on it.
This poses a threat as “the Iranians are notorious for reverse engineering weapons systems and creating their own versions,” Armament Research Services researcher and former US Army explosive ordnance disposal technician Trevor Ball told Business Insider.
“The quicker Iran can acquire weapons to exploit relative to the US fielding them, the more Iran can try to narrow gaps in their capabilities,” he said.
The StormBreaker
Developed by Raytheon, the GBU-53/B is the successor to the GBU-39B made by Boeing.
Unlike the GBU-39B, which primarily relies on the Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) to hit stationary targets, the StormBreaker is effective against both fixed and moving targets using GPS/INS plus a tri-mode seeker comprising infrared imaging, millimeter-wave radar, and semi-active laser guidance.
The 250-pound (113-kilogram) class munition can operate at night or during adverse weather conditions. Airborne or ground controllers can communicate with the glide bomb via a two-way datalink, allowing it to change targets in-flight or abort a mission post-release.
Measuring 70 inches (177 centimeters) long and 7 inches (17 centimeters) in diameter, the weapon can engage moving targets from a range of over 45 miles (72 kilometers).
Apart from the Super Hornet, the StormBreaker can also be integrated on the F-35 and the F-15E.
U.S Navy ammunition handlers aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) prepare ordnance for Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1).#HouthisAreTerrorists pic.twitter.com/z5PizSE1eJ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 21, 2025
