MSPO 2025: Saab Presents Container-Based Launcher for GLSDB

At the international MSPO exhibition in Poland, the Swedish company displayed an updated version of the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) and a launcher disguised as a cargo container.

Militarnyi’s correspondents report this from the defense exhibition in Kielce.

The joint development by Saab and Boeing, despite using boosters from HIMARS-launched rockets, is not compatible with the HIMARS system without additional modifications. As a result, the developers have introduced their own launcher designs for the long-range munition.

One of the options is a launcher disguised as a standard shipping container, which can be mounted on a civilian truck or deployed in a stationary position in open terrain and operated remotely.

A single such “container” can house one standard MFOM transport-launch container with guides for six missiles. The mock-up of the launcher mounted on a truck also demonstrates the possibility of installing two containers simultaneously.

The system lacks a horizontal traverse mechanism, meaning its positioning will determine the sector of potential fire. This drawback can be partially offset by the fact that, after the solid-fuel booster separates, the munition transforms into an analogue of a precision-guided aerial bomb capable of maneuvering along pre-programmed coordinate points.

Saab representatives stated that the company is also developing a self-propelled “open-type” launcher with rails similar to those of the original HIMARS rocket system.

The company acknowledges that the initial use of the first batches of long-range munitions, delivered to Ukrainian forces immediately after range testing, was unsuccessful. The long-range munition experienced issues, particularly with accuracy, due to the impact of Russian electronic warfare systems that jammed communications and spoofed satellite navigation signals.

The developers did not go into detail about the development and features of the new version of the GLSDB, merely hinting that some design improvements may have addressed the identified shortcomings. The munition continues to evolve and undergo modernization.

The GLSDB combines a guided 130-kilogram GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb with a solid-fuel rocket motor.

The maximum firing range of GLSDB bombs can reach up to 150 kilometers in the launch direction. Using the rocket motor, the bomb accelerates to a speed of 900-1200 m/s, after which, upon reaching an altitude of approximately 15,000-25,000 meters, it separates from the booster and begins a guided glide toward the target.

The first generation of the munition used an M26 rocket motor; however, the developers recently replaced them with a new, higher-performance model supplied by Anduril.