SDB is an unpowered, glide weapon that has deployable wings and is guided by a self-contained INS/GPS set. Small diameter bombs may be launched from standoff ranges beyond 30 nm at low or high altitudes in day or at night in all weather conditions.

The GBU-39 is most effective against non-moving targets.

The GBU-39 uses a high explosive warhead and is most efficient against soft-skinned targets like air defense vehicles, artillery pieces, radars and communications towers, fuel tanks, etc. SDBs can attack pre planned targets downloaded from the DTE, targets tracked by onboard aircraft sensors, targets provided by datalink, or targets entered by the pilot on the UFC.

The SDB weapon does not require the aircraft to fly directly towards the target, but allows release within a launch envelope.

Mission Editor/Mission Planning

In this mission we are going to attack pre planned targets downloaded from the DTE (DTC - Data Cartridge)

In this mission we are tasked to strike the 1027th Air Defense Battalion, which is basically a SA-5 site. As you can see in the screenshot below, there are 9 steerpoints in the route. What we'll do is to add eight extra steerpoints starting from steerpoint 10, and each of them will hold the exact coordinates of an individual target to strike. For this mission, those targets will be six SA-5 launchers, one Square Pair radar and one Barlock-B radar. We decided to use eight targets because we can carry eight GBU-39B bombs.

Recon

• How can we add those extra eight steerpoints? Simple, on the map, right click on the 1027th Air Defense Battalion icon and select 'Recon'
• In the Recon dialog, click on the right arrow under 'Designate as TGT STPT' until you reach #10 (step 1 in screenshot below)
• In the Target List dialog, click on the '+' button to expand the 1027th Air Defense Batallion drop down menu, and select the first target: a SA-5 launcher (step 2)
• In the Recon dialog, click on 'Accept' button (step 3)
• In the Recon dialog, click on the right arrow under 'Designate as TGT STPT' to move to #11
• In the Target List dialog, select another target
• In the Recon dialog, click on 'Accept' button
• Repeat the procedure as many times as necessary. In this mission, I assigned eight targets fromTGT STPT #10 to #17: six SA-5 launchers, one Square Pair radar and one Barlock-B radar

Flying

1. ICP - Select/verify A-G Master Mode.

3. SMS weapon base and control page -

• a. Verify/input correct weapon inventory load: G39 (OSB 6)
• b. Verify power ON for each loaded station (OSB 7)
• c. Verify PRE submode selected (OSB 2)
• d. Verify correct weapon stations selected.
• e. Verify weapon status is RDY. When powering on the weapon, it takes a couple of minutes to get into RDY status. It goes from INT to A10-A01 to RDY (images below)

4. Cursor Control - Zero cursor, unless cursor corrections required.

5. MASTER ARM switch - ARM.

6. HUD

• a. Use HUD steering cues to maneuver until range caret is within launch zone.
• b. Check distance to target on the botton right corner (36 nm in this case on image below)
• c. When we are within range, verify JIZ displayed adjacent to range caret (JSOW only). (image below center)
• d. Note that if we are above match 0.95, the JIZ will not be displayed and we won't be able to release the bomb (imagen below right)
• c. Verify range caret within RMAX1 / RMIN1 (JDAM/WCMD).

7. WPN REL button - Depress and hold until the FPM flashes (> 1.6 seconds for single).

8. Change to steerpoint 11 and repeat from step 6, and so on until you drop the last bomb in steerpoint 17. If we are fast enough, we can release all eight bombs within 20 seconds.

Outcome