Analyst Note:
The remnant pictured here is part of a Small Diameter Bomb actuator assembly (‘Tail Actuation Section’), which moves the four tail-fin control surfaces which alter the course of the munition in flight. (ARES)
How small, US-supplied GBU-39 bombs have become Israel's ‘weapon of choice'
On 6 September 2024, The iPaper published an article detailing how Israel has been widely employing U.S.-made GBU-39 air-delivered bombs to strike Gaza. The piece assessed long-standing claims that the GBU-39 is more suited to urban areas due to its smaller warhead and high precision, noting that numerous Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes using this munition.
The iPaper cited the OSMP’s work documenting the use of the GBU-39 in Gaza—including a GBU-39 remnant identified in the portal that was reportedly recovered at the scene of an Israeli airstrike on a U.N.-run school in Nuseirat, central Gaza, which killed dozens of civilians sheltering at the site.
Analyst Note:
The circled remnant is the hardened steel nosecone of the GBU-39, which renders the munition capable of penetrating more than 3 feet (approx. 1 metre) of steel-reinforced concrete. It is one of several components that often survives the detonation of the munition. (ARES)
Interactive
Collection
The GBU-39 air-delivered bomb: a visual guide
An interactive 3D model of the Israeli military’s “weapon of choice” in Gaza