Munitions

GB50A guided bomb

Also known as
  • GB50A
  • GB 50A
  • GB-50A
  • Norinco GB50A

The Norinco GB50A is a Chinese 50 kg-class guided aerial bomb documented with RSF drone operations in Sudan. Amnesty International said fragments recovered after a 9 March 2025 strike near al-Malha in North Darfur showed 2024 manufacture markings and marked the first documented combat use of the type.

GB50A guided bomb, Guided aerial bomb, Munitions
Image source: Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigation

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Built by
Norinco
Type
Guided aerial bomb
Service note
Documented in active use in 2025
Produced
At least 2024

Specifications

Mass class
50 kg class
Guidance
Guided aerial bomb; specific seeker or navigation mode not publicly confirmed in the cited GB50A sources
Launch platform
Chinese UAVs including Wing Loong II and FeiHong-95/FH-95-class aircraft
Manufacturer
Norinco Group / China North Industries Group Corporation Limited
Documented manufacture
2024
Carrier UAVs

Amnesty said the GB50A can be dropped from Chinese drones including Wing Loong II and FeiHong-95-class UAVs used by the RSF in Sudan.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
FH-95 UAV, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsFH-95 UAVStrike UAV

Amnesty's investigation said the GB50A can be dropped from Chinese drones including FeiHong-95/FH-95-class UAVs, connecting the bomb to the RSF's long-range strike drone fleet.

Sources: Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigation

Why the carrier matters

The same investigation tied the munition to a March 2025 RSF drone strike in North Darfur, so the carrier link is operational rather than merely technical.

Sources: Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigation

What investigators found

Amnesty's analysis tied the GB50A to a March 2025 RSF drone strike in North Darfur and used recovered fragments to identify the munition family.

Manufacture mark

The recovered fragments carried 2024 manufacture markings.

Carrier drones

Amnesty identified Wing Loong II and FeiHong-95 as Chinese UAVs able to drop the bomb in Sudan's RSF context.

Strike site

The documented strike site was near al-Malha in North Darfur during the 2023 Sudan War.

Timeline

GB50A guided bomb Key Events

  1. Recently manufactured fragments appear

    Amnesty said recovered GB50A fragments carried 2024 manufacture markings, showing the bombs were newly made when found in Sudan.

    Sources: Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigation, GlobalSecurity NORINCO GB series, Sudan Tribune GB50A arms embargo report

  2. RSF drone strike near al-Malha

    Amnesty identified GB50A bomb fragments from an RSF drone strike near al-Malha in North Darfur, the first documented active use of the bomb.

    Sources: Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigation, DNHR al-Malha RSF drone strike report, Sudan Tribune GB50A arms embargo report

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Related News

Sources

Amnesty Sudan Chinese weaponry investigationPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports the GB50A identification, Norinco manufacture, 2024 markings, drone-carriage context, FeiHong-95/Wing Loong II compatibility, image provenance for the Amnesty comparison image, and the 2023 Sudan War direct-use evidence from the RSF drone strike near al-Malha; image reuse remains subject to Amnesty and third-party media rights terms. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Al Jazeera UAE denies supplying Sudan paramilitariesPublisher: Al Jazeera | Note: Supports the 2023 Sudan War direct-use context by reporting that Amnesty verified RSF fighters using Chinese GB50A guided bombs during attacks in Khartoum and Darfur. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DNHR al-Malha RSF drone strike reportPublisher: Darfur Network for Human Rights | Note: Supports the reported 9 March 2025 RSF drone-strike event near al-Malha that Amnesty later connected to recovered GB50A fragments; it does not independently identify the munition. | Accessed: 2026-07-13GlobalSecurity NORINCO GB seriesPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports general NORINCO GB precision-guided bomb family context, including a GB7 / GB50 50 kg series reference; it is not treated as a GB50A-specific datasheet. | Accessed: 2026-07-13CIR Port Sudan munition-remnant analysisPublisher: Centre for Information Resilience | Note: Supports open-source comparison context for GB7/GB50-style remnants and RSF drone-strike reporting in Sudan, while preserving Amnesty as the direct GB50A identification source. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Sudan Tribune GB50A arms embargo reportPublisher: Sudan Tribune | Note: Supports the 2023 Sudan War direct-use context, the first documented GB50A use worldwide, the March 9 drone strike near al-Malha, and 2024 manufacture markings on the fragments. | Accessed: 2026-07-13