US to give first-of-its-kind bomb to Ukraine before American military, report says

The United States will provide Ukraine with a brand new munition made in America that even the Pentagon doesn’t have access to yet, Politico reported.

Ukraine will receive a batch of Boeing-made Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs, anonymous government officials told the publication. The weapons, they said, can travel up to 90 miles and will substantially improve its offensive capabilities when they arrive as soon as Wednesday.

It gives them a deeper strike capability they haven’t had, it complements their long-range fire arsenal,” a U.S. official said. “It’s just an extra arrow in the quiver that’s gonna allow them to do more.”

The 250-pound weapon is unique in the way it combines precision guidance technology with a ground launcher. A version of the rocket exists in the U.S. arsenal that is air-launched only, but they ground version does not yet exist in the American inventory.

In 2023, lawmakers contracted with Boeing and Saab to develop the weapon despite the fact the U.S. has no new money left to authorize weapons transfers. A bill to provide $111 billion more dollars to Ukraine is currently stalled in Congress.

Arriving at a time when Ukraine’s weapons stockpiles are running low, the bomb will be used for the very first time as a critical field test of its design.

Video of the bomb on Saab’s website shows it launching from a truck before unfurling wings in midair. The example footage then shows the rocket destroying a computer-generate image of a convoy of vehicles on a bridge.

Ukraine funding remains a top priority for leading Democrats, while Republicans remain hard-pressed on a deal focused on the southern border.

“I am more optimistic now that we can come to an agreement on border and Ukraine in one package,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said this month.

Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest trending national news. Have a news tip? Send it to jacwalker@sbgtv.com.