Profile
- Type
- Precision-guided glide bomb
- Conflict side
- United States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- 2006-present
Aircraft & UAVs
GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb - reported MQ-9 use, lower confidence
Boeing's GBU-39B is a 250-pound class GPS/INS glide bomb built for precision and low collateral damage. Official U.S. sources show it loaded on MQ-9 Reapers in 2025-2026, so this record treats the United States-Iran Conflict connection cautiously as reported MQ-9 fielding rather than a confirmed strike release.
- Conflict side
- United States
- Built by
- Boeing
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- In service
- Entered U.S. service in 2006; AFSOC reported MQ-9 Reaper fielding in spring 2026.
- Used by
- United States Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command
Production History
- Designer
- Boeing
- Designed
- 2000s
- Built by
- Boeing
- Built in
- United States
- Produced
- 2005-present
Specifications
- Weight
- 250-pound class; about 268 lb (122 kg)
- Guidance
- INS/GPS with anti-jam SAASM
- Range
- Standoff range greater than 40 nautical miles
- Warhead
- 36 lb insensitive munition with penetrating blast-fragmentation
- Length
- 70.8 in (1.8 m)
- Wingspan
- 63.3 in open; 7.5 in stowed
Conflict Usage
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United StatesRole: MQ-9 precision strike munition
In the United States-Iran Conflict, CENTCOM's Operation Epic Fury page carried a March 2025 video showing GBU-39B bombs loaded on an MQ-9 Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, a conservative indicator of MQ-9 fielding rather than confirmed release against Iran.
GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb - reported MQ-9 use, lower confidence Images
Related Weapon Systems
MQ-9 ReaperMedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicleThe MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.
Aeronautics Orbiter 1KClass 1 loitering munition UASThe Aeronautics Orbiter 1K is an Israeli electric loitering munition derived from the Orbiter mini-UAS family, combining EO/IR surveillance with a fragmentation warhead for attacks on soft targets. Azerbaijan fielded Orbiter 1K systems alongside other Israeli and Turkish unmanned weapons during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Hermes 450 armed unmanned aircraftArmed tactical UAVElbit's Hermes 450 is an Israeli tactical UAV adapted for armed use and long-endurance missions, with the Israel-Hamas War archive documenting an Israeli Air Force strike in Gaza in 2025.
IAI HaropLong-range loitering munitionThe IAI Harop is an Israeli long-range loitering munition that combines UAV-style sensing with a one-way precision strike payload. In the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan used Harop alongside other Turkish and Israeli unmanned systems to attack Armenian forces and air-defense-related targets.
Mikholit glide bombGuided glide bombThe Mikholit glide bomb is a small Israeli guided air-delivered munition from Israel Aerospace Industries, designed for UAV carriage and documented in the Israel-Hamas War.
PunisherReusable strike and reconnaissance UAVThe Punisher is a Ukrainian reusable fixed-wing strike UAV from UA Dynamics, designed for small-unit reconnaissance and precision bomb drops behind enemy lines. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been fielded by Ukrainian defense units as a compact catapult-launched system carrying modular explosive containers for attacks on command posts, electronic-warfare equipment, ammunition sites, and other rear-area targets.Sources
Boeing Small Diameter Bomb Product CardPublisher: Boeing | Note: Manufacturer product card for the GBU-39/B's weight, dimensions, guidance, standoff range, carriage, and UAV-compatible precision-strike design. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USAF GBU-39B Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Official fact sheet for the GBU-39B's 250-pound class, GPS-guided, standoff, low-collateral-damage characteristics. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CENTCOM Epic Fury GBU-39 MQ-9 VideoPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: In United States-Iran Conflict sourcing, CENTCOM's Operation Epic Fury page showed GBU-39B bombs loaded on an MQ-9 Reaper; because the clip is a March 2025 load video rather than a strike report, it only supports lower-confidence fielded by U.S. MQ-9 context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20AFSOC MQ-9 GBU-39B Loading PhotoPublisher: Air Force Special Operations Command | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force photo of a GBU-39B being lifted toward an MQ-9 Reaper at Cannon Air Force Base; supports the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons BRU-61+4xGBU-39Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force image of a BRU-61 rack carrying four GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs; supports the gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter BombPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force image of GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs in flight; supports the gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons SDB in flightPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force image of GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs in flight; supports the gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20