MQ-9 Reaper Tests GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb on New Dual-Carriage System

The brand new BRU-78 Twin Carriage System permits the MQ-9 Reaper to hold two bombs on a single hardpoint, doubling the variety of free fall weapons it will probably make use of in fight.

The U.S. Air Drive has launched pictures of the primary check of the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb being loaded on the MQ-9’s latest weapons employment dispenser system, known as the Twin Carriage System. The GBU-39 SDB has been talked about a number of occasions up to now as one of many deliberate new additions to the Reaper’s arsenal.

One of many first mentions of this got here in 2017, when the Air Drive introduced on Nov. 27 a $17.5 million contract to Common Atomics Aeronautical System (GA-ASI), the producer of the Remotely Piloted Plane (RPA), to carry out the mixing. Surprisingly, a day later, the Division of Protection revealed a correction       stating that the contract “has not but been awarded.”

The contract discover particularly talked about the GBU-39B/B Laser SDB because the weapon to be built-in. The unique deadline for the contract set on the time, earlier than the correction, was 2021. It’s unclear when the contract was lastly awarded and which had been the explanations behind the correction to the award discover.

The testing

The primary load check, in response to the pictures launched, was performed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on the night time of Mar. 12, 2025, though the pictures had been solely launched on Mar. 21. The captions point out that the check noticed the 432nd Upkeep Group Weapons Standardization crew, in collaboration with Air Fight Command and the 556th Take a look at and Analysis Squadron, engaged on the loading process.

The MQ-9 is proven carrying the Twin Carriage System on the inside hardpoint of the left wing. The system permits to load two weapons side-by-side, equally to the M299 launcher already utilized by the Reaper to hold the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.

Apparently, even when the unique contract solely mentions the Laser SDB, the pictures present that two Laser SDB and two customary SDB had been ready for the check. Furthermore, the weapons had been reside, as denoted by their yellow markings. Though just one bomb was clearly proven being put in on the plane, extra weapons had been loaded later, as demonstrated by a photograph of the Airmen working additionally on the opposite aspect of the plane, loading a second weapon.

The selection of performing the test at night can also be notable, however but unusual for such assessments. Nevertheless, this may replicate the situations seen throughout lots of the Built-in Fight Flip coaching occasions that the service has performed these days, maybe with a view to have situations nearer to an operational situation.

The Twin Carriage System

Earlier than the introduction of the Twin Carriage System, the RPA may solely load a single bomb per pylon. The GBU-39 already has a rack to load a number of items, the BRU-61, nevertheless it’s used solely by fight plane.

Whereas the BRU-61 loaded with 4 GBU-39s weights 1,397 lb (634 kg) and thus falls throughout the reported 1,500 lb (680 kg) reported restrict of the 2 inboard weapons, this is able to limit the capabilities of the MQ-9. In truth, loading two BRU-61s for symmetry would get near the three,750 kilos (1,701 kilograms) exterior payload restrict of the plane, influencing the selection of the opposite payloads.

The usage of the Twin Carriage System would permit higher flexibility within the choice of the payload, additionally permitting the Reaper to hold a wider array of munitions for various wants. Whereas specs of the programs usually are not identified, a key distinction from the BRU-61 famous from the pictures is that the weapons are loaded solely after the rack has been put in on the plane. The BRU-61, however, is loaded with the 4 GBU-39s already connected to it.

The BRU-78

The Air Drive has not launched additional particulars concerning the Twin Carriage System. Nevertheless, an internet search revealed that the system is produced by L3Harris and designated BRU-78 Twin Carriage System.

A brochure launched in 2019 on the corporate’s web site reveals that the system is designed to be used on massive unmanned aerial autos (UAVs) and light attack armed reconnaissance/ counterinsurgency (LAAR/COIN) platforms. The brochure additionally talked about that, at the moment, the BRU-78 was being certified for flight on the MQ-9 Reaper.

The corporate says the BRU-78 is designed for weapons of the 500-pounds class and smaller, and used each the standard MIL-STD-1760 and Common Armament Interface (UAI) communications. The BRU-78 integrates two L3Harris-designed BRU-71 ejector items because the mechanical interface to put in the weapons.

Among the many weapons supposed for use with the BRU-78 are the GBU-12/49/59 laser-guided bombs, GBU-38/52/54 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and GBU-39/53 Small Diameter Bombs. It’s unclear if the Air Drive, following the completion of the GBU-39 testing, will check additionally the opposite weapons on the brand new rack, since they already are within the MQ-9’s stock.

The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb

As we regularly reported, the SDB is a small 250-lb multipurpose, insensitive, penetrating bomb with a blast-fragmentation warhead for stationary targets. One in every of its distinctive options is the presence of deployable wings for prolonged standoff vary that open upon launch.

The wings permit the GPS-guided bomb to glide for a number of miles earlier than hitting the goal with accuracy. In truth, launched at high-speed from excessive altitude, the GBU-39 can journey for as a lot as 50 miles, permitting the assault aircraft to stay exterior the vary of most SAM (Floor-to-Air Missile) batteries.

The weapon is being extensively utilized in Ukraine since early 2024. It’s being reported that the GBU-39 has demonstrated itself to be largely resilient to the Russian electronic warfare systems, with Ukraine claiming about 90% of the SDBs employed have struck their assigned targets.