Saab and Hanwha Aerospace are pursuing a new partnership focused on improving the lethality of the Chunmoo rocket artillery system. A recently signed MoU will examine the feasibility of incorporating the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) into the platform. This would combine the precision of an air-delivered glide bomb with the saturation capabilities of modular rocket artillery, dramatically expanding the system’s strike options.
First fielded by South Korea, the Chunmoo has since found buyers in Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The platform is based on an 8×8 Hanwha military truck and features two modular launch pods. Depending on mission requirements, each pod can carry 20 unguided 130mm rockets with a range of 36 kilometers, six 227mm/239mm rockets capable of reaching 80 kilometers, or a single 290mm ballistic missile with a 290-kilometer strike range.
The GLSDB complements this system by extending precision strike capability to 150 kilometers. It achieves this by combining the proven GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb with an M26 rocket motor, effectively adapting an air-launched munition for ground-based operations. For operators of the Chunmoo, integrating GLSDB would mean access to both massed firepower and surgical long-range strikes, making the system more adaptable to the complex demands of modern warfare.
