After successful tests in the US, Ukraine will soon receive the first large batch of Boeing-made long-range missiles (GLSDB), which can hit targets deep inside Russian-controlled territory, according to sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports.

They may reach the “battlefield” as early as Wednesday, Politico reports.

Ukraine needs Boeing’s Small Diameter Ground-Based Bombs (GLSDB) to augment the limited number of Army Tactical Missiles (ATACMS) with a range of 100 miles that the US has sent.

The small-diameter land-based bombs would allow the Ukrainian military to hit targets twice as far as the missiles they currently launch with US-supplied HIMARS, and could force Russia to move supplies even further from the front lines.

Tests of the newly created GLSDB took place on January 16 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, three people familiar with the situation told Reuters, allowing deliveries to begin. Reuters sources said six missiles were launched as part of the test over the Gulf of Mexico.

Sources said that according to the plan, launchers and dozens of warheads should be delivered to Ukraine.

The timing of their delivery and final deployment was kept secret to maintain an element of surprise. A Pentagon representative declined to comment.

For the Biden administration, the decision to send the GLSDB to Ukraine is an alternative to the ATACMS missile, which the administration has so far only provided in small numbers.

The new bombs, while not as powerful, are much cheaper, smaller and easier to deploy than ATACMS, making them suitable for much of what Ukraine hopes to achieve: disrupting Russian operations and creating a tactical advantage.

“It took a long time to find creative means to provide the ability to strike deep and often behind Russia’s rear,” said Tom Karako, an arms and security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Pentagon publicly said the funding was approved in February and a contract to begin production was signed the following month, US officials told Reuters.

Since the production of these GLSDBs has already been paid for, the weapons can avoid the recent controversy in the US Congress over the funding of military aid to Ukraine.

What are Small Diameter Land Bombs (GLSDB)

The GLSDBs, created by Saab and Boeing, are folding-wing missiles that hover over targets up to 150 kilometers away and can be launched using multiple-launch rocket fire systems that Ukraine has already received from its Western allies.

The GLSDB system, a partnership between Saab and Boeing, is highly accurate at long ranges, and the GLSDB also has the ability to fly complex trajectories and maneuver to engage targets that cannot be hit by conventional firearms, either directly or indirectly. It is launcher independent, meaning it can be launched from a container solution as well as any launcher that can use the M26 launch container, such as the HIMARS, M270, and ChunMoo. The containerized solution can also be used aboard ships, enabling GLSDB to be launched from both land and naval assets, Saab said in 2019 after testing it.

It will be recalled that at the last summit, Hungary opposed a package of loans and subsidies worth 50 billion euros, which requires the unanimous consent of the member countries, and two days before the next summit, the situation remains uncertain.

Regarding American aid, the White House announced the other day that the aid that the United States is providing to Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion has “completely stopped” due to the lack of agreement in Congress to continue supporting the authorities in Kyiv.

“The assistance that we have been providing is now suspended,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a press conference.

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