The GBU-28 Paveway III is a U.S. 5,000-pound-class hard-target penetrator bomb rushed into service for Operation Desert Storm and later retained as a specialized air-launched bunker-buster. GAO and Air & Space Forces sources describe a semi-active laser-guided weapon with a 4,400-pound-class penetrator warhead, while later GBU-28B/B and GBU-28C/B variants added GPS/INS guidance and the BLU-122 improved penetrator for all-weather hard-target attack.
The GBU-28 was rushed into service during Operation Desert Storm for deeply buried Iraqi command targets; FAS records two Desert Storm drops by F-111Fs, and NASA NTRS identifies it as used against the main Iraqi command-and-control bunker.
Role detailsRAND's Afghanistan air-power study identifies GBU-28 use during the October 2001 air campaign against Taliban and al-Qaeda targets; the available source support is for early U.S.-led combat use, not later post-2015 employment.
Role detailsHuman Rights Watch's appendix to Off Target, citing USCENTAF's Operation Iraqi Freedom munitions data, records one 5,000-pound GBU-28 bunker-buster expended in the 2003 Iraq War air campaign.
Role detailsDocumented GBU-28 employment is concentrated in U.S. and coalition hard-target attack, especially buried command, cave, and bunker targets, rather than routine close-air-support use.
| Conflict | Documented context | Source basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 Gulf War | Emergency Desert Storm penetrator; FAS records two F-111F drops. | FAS and NASA NTRS direct-use records. |
| 2001 War in Afghanistan | RAND identifies GBU-28 use during the October 2001 air campaign. | RAND Afghanistan air-power study. |
| 2003 Iraq War | One 5,000-pound GBU-28 listed in 2003 air-war munitions expenditure data. | Human Rights Watch appendix citing USCENTAF data. |
GBU-28 designations separate the original laser-guided Desert Storm penetrator from later Paveway III hard-target configurations with added inertial/GPS guidance and improved warheads.
| Designation | Configuration | Supported distinction |
|---|---|---|
| GBU-28/B | Baseline laser-guided penetrator | 5,000-pound fixed-hard-target munition with a 4,400-pound penetrating warhead. |
| GBU-28B/B | Laser/GPS/INS guided penetrator | Added GPS/INS guidance to the existing laser seeker and entered production in 1999. |
| GBU-28C/B | Improved BLU-122 penetrator | Combined the enhanced guidance package with the BLU-122 penetrating warhead and entered production in 2005. |
Published integration sources identify the GBU-28 with U.S. strike aircraft and bombers used for hard-target attack.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Strike fighter | Air & Space Forces lists F-15E integration for GBU-28, and Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory lists GBU-28 in the aircraft's external carriage matrix. Sources: GBU-24/28 Paveway III, Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory |
 | Low-observable strategic bomber | Air & Space Forces lists B-2A integration for GBU-28, making the B-2 a documented carrier for the later hard-target munition family. Sources: GBU-24/28 Paveway III |
 | Long-range heavy bomber | Air & Space Forces lists B-52 integration for GBU-28, connecting the munition to U.S. heavy-bomber hard-target strike options. Sources: GBU-24/28 Paveway III |
FAS describes a rapid February 1991 development cycle that delivered the first operational GBU-28s to theater before two F-111F drops in Operation Desert Storm.
Sources: FAS GBU-28 Bunker Buster, NASA NTRS GBU-28 Concept to Combat
GAO listed the GBU-28 as an Air Force precision-guided munition with 125 units, F-15E and F-111F platforms, fixed-hard-target role, and 1991 first capability.
Sources: GAO Precision Guided Munitions in Inventory
The GBU-28B/B added GPS/INS guidance to the laser seeker for all-weather targeting and entered production in 1999.
Sources: GBU-24/28 Paveway III
Human Rights Watch's appendix based on USCENTAF munitions data records one GBU-28 expended during the 2003 Iraq War air campaign.
Sources: HRW Off Target Appendix D
The GBU-28C/B combined the enhanced guidance package with the BLU-122 improved penetrator and entered production in 2005.
Sources: GBU-24/28 Paveway III
