The US Air Force Special Operations Command has integrated the GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb onto MQ-9 Reaper drones, significantly enhancing the platform’s long-range precision strike capability for operations in contested environments.
The addition of the low-yield, precision-guided munition expands the MQ-9’s operational role in supporting unconventional warfare missions while also reducing the risk of collateral damage during precision engagements.
The modified drones are assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing (SOW) at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, a unit responsible for missions including infiltration support, fire support operations, and battlefield resupply.
Precision Strike Capability
The GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb is a 250-pound (133-kilogram) air-launched precision weapon carrying a 36-pound (16-kilogram) high-explosive warhead. When deployed from the correct altitude and speed, the weapon can glide over long distances to strike targets with high accuracy.
Designed to hit within approximately one meter (3 feet) of its intended target, the munition allows aircraft crews to engage threats while remaining beyond the effective range of many ground-based air defense systems.
The weapon entered US Air Force service in 2006 and has since been widely integrated across fighter aircraft, bombers, and gunship platforms.
Dual-Carriage Integration
The MQ-9 Reaper carries the GBU-39B using the BRU-78 smart dual bomb rack, a carriage system specifically developed for the drone platform. The setup enables the aircraft to carry multiple precision-guided low-yield weapons during a single mission, increasing strike flexibility and target engagement capacity.
