It looks like a StormBreaker may have landed intact in Yemen, raising the risk the US bomb could fall into the wrong hands

• The US Navy seems to be utilizing new “StormBreaker” glide bombs in opposition to the Houthis.

• What seemed to be one in all these guided munitions was noticed within the sand in Yemen this week.

• Totally intact wreckage may very well be exploited by US adversaries, together with Iran.

US fighter jets look like utilizing superior “StormBreaker” precision glide bombs in fight in opposition to the Houthis, a part of the extreme bombing marketing campaign in opposition to the Iran-backed rebels.

A picture of what regarded like an unexploded, US-made bomb half-buried within the sand started circulating on social media Thursday. Open-source intelligence accounts geolocated the picture to Yemen’s southern Shabwah governorate.

Trevor Ball, a former US Military explosive ordnance disposal technician, recognized the munition because the GBU-53/B StormBreaker, a comparatively new munition within the American arsenal. He informed Enterprise Insider that the invention of the bomb, seemingly absolutely intact, highlights an issue: it might fall into the flawed palms.

The GBU-53/B, generally known as the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II, is an air-launched standoff weapon with precision steerage and pop-out wings. The 200-pound bomb is made by US protection contractor Raytheon, now RTX, and will be launched from carrier-based fighter plane just like the F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornet.

The weapon can be utilized in opposition to shifting and stationary targets and is able to working in inclement climate, in line with Naval Air Techniques Command. The bomb may obtain up to date goal coordinates mid-flight.

In October 2023, the Navy declared early operational functionality for the StormBreaker and mentioned its Tremendous Hornets could be the primary platforms to hold the bomb.

US Central Command, which oversees Center East operations, printed footage final month showing to point out the StormBreaker amongst different ordnance aboard the plane service USS Harry S. Truman, which has been on the forefront of the Houthi conflict.

The Warfare Zone, which first reported on Friday on the StormBreaker’s discovery in Yemen, spotted evidence final month that the Navy had used the munition for the primary time in fight.

The picture of the obvious StormBreaker appears to be the clearest signal that the US is utilizing this weapon in opposition to the Houthis. That the munition is absolutely intact suggests air defenses didn’t take it out. A protection official declined to reply BI’s questions concerning the incident or present additional particulars.

Ball, a researcher at Armament Analysis Providers, mentioned the chance on this state of affairs is that Iran, which has lengthy supported the Houthis, might get its palms on the StormBreaker.

“The Iranians are infamous for reverse engineering weapons methods and creating their very own variations,” Ball mentioned. “The faster Iran can purchase weapons to use relative to the US fielding them, the extra Iran can attempt to slender gaps of their capabilities.”

This might even go on to profit Russia, which has loved more and more close defense ties with Iran since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ball defined that though the StormBreaker was reportedly present in an space of Yemen that the Houthis do not management, “it highlights the chance of unexploded munitions ending up in Iranian possession,” particularly provided that there are probably extremely categorized elements within the munition.

“The higher the size of airstrikes and use, the extra probably this turns into,” Ball mentioned, including that the identical threat applies to the AGM-158, which the US has been utilizing against the Houthis.

The AGM-158, or Joint Air-to-Floor Standoff Missile (JASSM), is a stealthy, long-range cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin. The JASSM and StormBreaker are standoff weapons, that means that plane can launch them from a distance and keep away from Houthi air defenses, in contrast to typical gravity bombs dropped instantly over a goal.

The US additionally seems to be utilizing the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), amongst different superior munitions, in opposition to the Houthis.

The US has been bombing the Houthis for six weeks straight to get the rebels to cease their assaults on Purple Sea delivery. The navy has publicly disclosed only a few particulars concerning the intense marketing campaign for the reason that early days, although it acknowledged striking a major Houthi-controlled oil terminal final week. Dozens of individuals had been reportedly killed within the assault.

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned Thursday that the US has attacked a whole bunch of Houthi targets since the campaign began and decimated its management. Nonetheless, analysts have forged doubt that the strikes will successfully remove the rebels’ capabilities; earlier stikres have not. Just some days in the past, for example, they fired missiles at Israel.

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