The Royal Thai Air Force Plans to Procure KGGB Satellite Guided Glider Bombs from South Korea

23 Juni 2022

KGGB smart bomb (photo : Korea Defense)

Website The Thai Government Procurement System, the Comptroller General's Department (CGD: Comptroller General's Department) has published a document showing the allocated budget amount and details of non-construction procurement expenses when date 13 June 2022 to the procurement project Guidance-Extended Range Kits for 500 LB General Purpose Bomb, 10 Set, with supporting equipment by the Directorate of Armament, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF: Royal Thai Air Force), which was first announced on May 5, 2022.

Allocated budget amount 48,148,100 baht Median price (reference price) $1,395,597 or equal to 47,952,712.92 baht (exchange rate 1$=34.36 baht of TMB Bank Thanachart Public Company Limited on May 24, 2022).

The source of the middle price (reference price) is the company LIG Nex1 Co., Ltd. Republic of Korea. Thus, it is likely to indicate that this project should be a purchase of a Korean GPS Guided Bomb (KGGB) GPS (Global Positioning System) bomb kit for the Royal Thai Air Force.

Although there is no official confirmation from the Royal Thai Air Force or LIG Nex1 and related agencies of the Republic of Korea. Thailand will be the second export customer after the Royal Saudi Air Force, which was reported in 2018 to supply KGGB guided glide bombs.

The KGGB is also likely to be the Royal Thai Air Force's first satellite-guided bomb, which announced its requirement in early 2022 that it looks to procure satellite-guided bombs such as the US's JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) and SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) used by the US military and exported to many countries.

KGGB satellite-guided bomb (image : LIGNex1)

The KGGB guided glide bomb, manufactured by LIG Nex1, is designed according to requirements set by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Republic of Korea.

In service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF: Republic of Korea Air Force) since 2013, it has been tested on a wide variety of fighter jets, from the F-4E, F-5E/F fighters, fighter jets, and fighter jets F-16C/D, F-15K fighter, and FA-50 light attack fighter.

According to the LIG Nex1, the KGGB glide-guided bomb has a maximum firing range of approximately 100 km, and has an acceptable tolerance (CEP: Circular Error Probable) of 13m multipurpose bomb Mk82 GP (General Purpose Bomb).

A key feature of the KGGB guided glide grenade is that it can be deployed without the need for additional structural modifications to the aircraft or instruction set. By pre-saving mission data to the Pilot Display Unit (PDU), the pilot will carry it with himself in the cockpit of the aircraft.

The KGGB can be mounted to the Mk82 hardpoint pylon fighter armament, whereby the pilot flies the aircraft into a position away from a given target. The PDU communicates wirelessly with the wing assembly. The task of detonating a bomb that will guide the missile towards the target itself.

Many aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force such as fighter and trainer aircraft T-50TH, fighter aircraft F-16AM/BM EMLU and the F-5E/F TH fighter aircraft can use the KGGB guided glide grenade with the Mk82 bombs produced in Thailand by the Royal Thai Air Force Ordnance Department without having to be specially modified.

(AAG)