LOC11:57
08:57 GMT
RAMALLAH, Nov 7 (KUNA) -- The Israeli Airforce has significantly boosted
its precisionstrike capabilities with the recent arrival of the first batch of
GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) from the United States, Israeli daily
reported on Sunday.
The Jerusalem Post said the 250-lb. (113.6-kg.) bomb was developed by
Boeing Company as a low-cost weapon capable of high-precision and
low-collateral damage strikes. Israel received approval from Congress in late
2008 to buy 1,000 units.
Israel is the first country outside of the United States to receive the
weapon.
The IAF has named the new bomb "Sharp Hail". The total cost of the deal was
USD 77 million.
The GPS-guided SDB is said to be one of the most accurate bombs in the
world. It has the same penetration capabilities as a normal 900-kg. bomb,
although it has only 22.7 kg. of explosives.
At just 1.75 meters long, its small size increases the number of bombs an
aircraft can carry and the number of targets it can attack in a sortie.
Tests conducted in the US have proven that the bomb can penetrate at least
90 cm. of steel-reinforced concrete.
The GBU-39 can be used in adverse weather and has a standoff range of more
than 110 km. due to its pop-out wings. (end)
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KUNA 071157 Nov 10NNNN