Saab has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace to explore the integration of the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) into the Chunmoo artillery rocket system.
Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s Dynamics business unit, said the agreement offered a step change in long-range precision strike:
“With this agreement we are excited to explore how we can bring the long-range precision of GLSDB to current and future users of the Chunmoo launcher. Together these would mean even more capability is available to those who want a strike capability unmatched by traditional rocket or gun artillery.”
The GLSDB, jointly developed by Saab and Boeing, is derived from the air-launched Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) and adapted for ground launch. It provides precision strike capability against targets beyond 150 km, with a high degree of manoeuvrability that enables it to engage targets in complex terrain or behind cover.
Chunmoo: South Korea’s Export Workhorse
The K239 Chunmoo is Hanwha Aerospace’s flagship multiple rocket launcher, first fielded by the Republic of Korea Army in 2015. Designed as a flexible and export-ready counterpart to the US HIMARS, it can fire a variety of guided and unguided rockets and missiles:
- 130 mm rockets (36 rounds, 36–80 km range)
- 227 mm rockets (12 rounds, 45–80 km range)
- 239 mm guided rockets (12 rounds, up to 80 km range)
- 290 mm tactical ballistic missiles (KTSSM) (2 rounds, 160–290 km range)
Mounted on an 8×8 Hanwha truck chassis, Chunmoo features modular launch pods that allow different rocket calibres to be loaded simultaneously, giving operators flexibility to tailor fire missions. It is supported by a digital fire control system and satellite navigation.
The system has already secured export success: Poland signed a contract in 2022 for 288 Chunmoo launchers, with deliveries beginning in 2023, to complement its HIMARS fleet. Other international customers are reportedly in negotiation, drawn by the launcher’s interoperability and cost competitiveness.
Extending Launcher’s Effective Strike
Integrating the GLSDB into Chunmoo would dramatically extend the launcher’s effective strike envelope, pairing the precision and manoeuvrability of a glide bomb with the mobility and saturation fire capabilities of a rocket artillery system.
If successful, it would give Chunmoo users – from South Korea to Poland and beyond – access to a 150+ km precision strike option at lower cost than cruise missiles, with the benefit of being able to hit moving or concealed targets.
Reflecting Wider Tech Trends
The Saab–Hanwha agreement reflects a wider trend in modern artillery: the merging of rocket artillery flexibility with precision-guided munitions usually associated with airpower. For countries investing in deep-strike capability under constrained budgets, Chunmoo paired with GLSDB could emerge as one of the most versatile systems on the market.
