Boeing Offers to Supply Ukraine With High-Precision Ammunition for Missile Systems, Reports Say

Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military, and financial aid amid Russia’s special operation. In turn, Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies. The Kremlin has said the flow of weapons to the country only delays a negotiated solution.

Boeing aims to supply Ukraine with high-precision ammunition for ground missile systems that would allow it to strike far beyond the lines of contact, media reported, citing industry sources.

The proposed system, called the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), is one of about half a dozen plans to put new munitions into production for Ukraine, industry sources said.

According to a document cited by the media, the GLSDB could be delivered as early as spring 2023. It combines the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket engine, which are widely used in the US military.

According to reports, the Pentagon is studying Boeing's proposal amid declining US and allied military stockpiles as Ukraine faces a growing need for more sophisticated weapons as the conflict drags on.

Doug Bush, the US Army's chief weapons buyer, said last week that the US is also considering speeding up production of the 155mm artillery shells, which are currently produced only at government facilities, by allowing defense contractors to produce them.

In November, US President Joe Biden said that the United States is reluctant to provide Ukraine with long-range munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) due to the possibility they could be used to strike Russian soil.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against further involvement in the conflict, while the European Union, the United States, and NATO have maintained that they are not a party to the hostilities despite training Ukrainian soldiers, sending instructors and hardware to Ukraine, and providing intelligence support.

Earlier, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.