United States approves sale of GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs to Romania

The Romanian government had requested the purchase to strengthen its air force capabilities, though no specific aircraft were mentioned in the approval. However, Romania is modernising its combat fleet with two types of American-made aircraft that are capable of carrying the GBU-39B.

In November 2024, Romania ordered 32 F-35A multirole fighter jets, which will come with an initial supply of unspecified air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. At the same time, the country has expanded its fleet with 32 second-hand F-16AM/BM fighters acquired from Norway, supplementing the 17 previously purchased from Portugal.

The deliveries of the Norwegian F-16s began in November 2023 and are set to be completed this year. These recently acquired aircraft will also require modern ground-attack weaponry, making the GBU-39B bombs a valuable addition to Romania’s arsenal.

The GBU-39B SDB-I is a precision-guided glide bomb weighing 129 kilograms, designed to be launched from high-speed fighter jets. It utilises inertial navigation with satellite-based GPS correction, enabling it to strike pre-programmed targets with high accuracy.

With a range exceeding 100 kilometres when dropped from high altitudes, the bomb’s small size allows for four to be carried on a single mounting rack. This increases the number of targets that an aircraft can engage in a single mission.

The GBU-39B has proven highly effective in the ongoing war in Ukraine, where it is deployed by adapted Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters. Recently, the weapon has also been integrated into Ukrainian-operated F-16AM aircraft, further enhancing their strike capabilities.