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Small Diameter Bomb debuts in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Capt Travis Tougaw
  • 455th AEW Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  A 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagle dropped a Guided Bomb Unit-39B on a target in Afghanistan, Jan. 27. It was the first time the GBU-39B was used in the Afghanistan area of responsibility.

The release occurred while the F-15E flew a close air support mission for International Security Assistance Force troops in contact with enemy fighters. The troops, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to support the ISAF/NATO mission, were taking mortar fire from a ridgeline when the air strike was called in.

According to the two-person crew, identified by their call signs "Nuttin'" and "Wrangler," the release of the GBU-39B was successful.

"The JTAC (joint terminal air controller) asked us to drop that specific weapon on that specific spot, and that's what we did," said "Wrangler," the weapons system officer on the sortie. "It hit exactly on the spot and performed perfectly as far as we could tell." In fact, the strike assessment found the enemy stopped fighting and retreated.

Weighing 250 pounds, the GBU-39B, also known as the small-diameter bomb or SDB, is designed to hit targets with accuracy and minimize the risk of collateral damage. The small size of the bomb also allows for greater flexibility in the aircraft's release position than with some other munitions.

The SDB is equipped with a Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System for guidance. The crew loads coordinates for the desired target; once released, the GPS/INS guides the weapon to those coordinates. Therefore, the SDB leverages good communication between the troops on the ground and the crew in the air. The Jan. 27 strike demonstrated that cooperation. "Both the JTAC and aircrew are responsible for making sure the right weapon is used," Wrangler said.

JTACs provide final attack control to aircrew when aircraft are inbound to the target, ensuring the aircrew identifies and attacks the correct target, minimizing the risk to friendly ground forces and preventing unwanted collateral damage.

The 391st EFS, deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, arrived at Bagram Jan. 14 and began conducting the close air support mission traditionally performed by A-10s in Afghanistan. For the past year, Wrangler said, "we've been shaping our training for what we'd be doing here."

Wrangler said the F-15E brings speed and versatility of weapons to the fight. The SDB is just one of several munitions the Strike Eagle is capable of carrying. The F-15E also has an all-weather capability that aids in delivering close air support to ISAF and their partnered Afghan ground forces.