Swedish defense company Saab says it has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreements with Nammo and Nordic Shelter as part of its ongoing ground-launched small diameter bomb (GLSDB) campaign.
The new agreement was announced during a signing on November 23 in Oslo, Norway.
Nammo will contribute with its expertise in rocket motor development and production as part of the GLSDB propulsion sub-system. Nordic Shelter brings the knowledge and experience needed for the development and production of a modular GLSDB launcher, based on a purpose built 20-foot ISO-container.
GLSDB is a long range, precision artillery system developed by Saab and Boeing. The system is based on Boeing’s air-launched small diameter bomb, which has been in production since 2006, with more than 30 000 units shipped.
The two companies are yet to find a customer for the GLSDB, which enables the small diameter bomb to be ground-launched from a wide variety of launchers and configurations.
“With Nammo and Nordic Shelter as part of the team, we have two great Norwegian companies who can benefit from future export prospects, while lending their expertise to make GLSDB an even more compelling solution. The range of the system, its 360 degree coverage and precision, with the ability to use a discrete launcher configuration makes GLSDB unique amongst artillery systems,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
According to company specifications, GLSDB has a range of 150 kilometers and the ability to hit targets across a wide area within a radius of one meter. GLSDB has the ability to fly non-ballistic trajectories and maneuvers to strike targets that cannot be reached by conventional direct fire weapons, such as with reverse slope engagement.
