Yemen Monitor / Washington / Agencies:
The wreckage of a modern U.S. glide bomb has been found largely intact in Yemen, according to The War Zone (TWZ), a U.S.-based site specializing in conflict monitoring.
Recently, photos circulated on social media showing a “StormBreaker” bomb (GBU-53/B StormBreaker) lying in the sand. It is reported that civilians discovered it in the Osilan area of Shabwah province, in southeastern Yemen (not northeastern Yemen, as some accounts initially stated). The bomb clearly did not explode, and it appears that the desert sands cushioned its impact, allowing it to remain largely intact. Its separated wings can be seen in a partially deployed position.
The StormBreaker is expected to become one of the most important and widely used weapons in the U.S. arsenal, as well as among many of its allies. With that in mind, the technological risk posed by remnants of such a nearly intact weapon falling into enemy hands is considerable.
StormBreaker munitions alongside Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) – Screenshot from U.S. Central Command
It remains unclear what happened to the StormBreaker in question, but the relatively minor damage strongly suggests a technical malfunction rather than being shot down by enemy fire. It’s unknown whether this is the first time such an incident has occurred, but it appears to be the first time it has been publicly documented.
The newly surfaced images of StormBreaker wreckage in Yemen confirm that the weapon has indeed been used in combat.
