WIREDGOV

The acquisition of glide bombs for the F-35B is a welcome and overdue way to efficiently increase practical UK combat air mass in a NATO context.

The recent confirmation that the UK Ministry of Defence has approved a Foreign Military Sales purchase of the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II for the RAF/RN F-35B Lightning Force is excellent (and long overdue) news. To date the Lightning Force has operated the most sophisticated strike fighter in the world, designed for operations against the most potent adversary air defence systems, without a suitable strike weapon. At present, UK F-35Bs can only use the Paveway IV – a free-fall laser and GPS guided precision bomb – which lacks the range to be useful against any serious air defence threat, even when used from a stealthy F-35. The MBDA SPEAR stand-off miniature cruise missile, designed for the MoD’s SPEAR 3 programme to equip the F-35B with a capable strike weapon against heavily defended targets, is years behind schedule and will now not enter service until at least the early 2030s. The first SPEAR test carriage flight in the bay of an F-35B was announced in May 2026.

In this context, the acquisition of an off-the-shelf glide bomb capability from the US, that is already cleared for use on the F-35B and that can hit moving targets from significant distances in defended airspace, is a very sensible stopgap solution. The GBU-53/B is far easier for Russian air defences to shoot down, and takes longer to travel to targets from standoff ranges compared to a powered missile like SPEAR or the US made AGM-88G AARGM-ER which is purpose-designed destruction of enemy air defences (DEAD). However, it is still a major boost to the potential lethality, tactical flexibility and survivability of UK F-35Bs against any significant threat, compared to the current Paveway IV. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the acquisition, however, is its out-sized impact on UK combat power in any serious conflict scenario.

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