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KGGB

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Korean GPS Guided Bomb
A scale model of KGGB on display
TypeAir-to-surface guided glide bomb
Place of originSouth Korea
Service history
In service2013–present
Used byRepublic of Korea Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
Wars2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis
Production history
DesignerAgency for Defense Development
LIG Nex1
Designed2007–2012[1]
ManufacturerLIG Nex1 (final assembly)
Kolon Spaceworks (main wing assembly)[2]
Unit cost₩100 million (US$84,800) (2012)[3]
No. built1,200 (Republic of Korea Air Force)[4]
150 (Royal Saudi Air Force)
20 (Royal Thai Air Force)
Specifications
MassTotal weight:
316 kilograms (697 lb)

CK-100K guidance kit:
89 kilograms (196 lb)

MK-82 Bomb:
227 kilograms (500 lb)
Length2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in)
Width3.24 meters (10 ft 8 in)
Operational
range
47–111 kilometers (29–69 mi)[3][5]
Flight altitude20,000–35,000 feet (6.1–10.7 km)[6]
Maximum speed Mach 0.8 (270 m/s; 980 km/h)[6]
Guidance
system
GPS/INS with fire-and-forget[7]
Accuracy0.9 m CEP at 57 km (F-16)
4 m CEP at 85 km (F-5E/F)
4.14 m CEP at 103 km (FA-50)
6.9 m CEP at 76.5 km (F-15E)
8.6 m CEP at 47 km (F-4E)[6]
Launch
platform
F-4E, F-5E/F, F-15E, F-16, FA-50, KF-21

The KGGB (Korean GPS Guided Bomb; Korean: 한국형 GPS 유도폭탄; Hanja: 韓國型GPS制導炸彈), or simply GGB, is a guided glide bomb system, attached to MK-82 conventional general-purpose bomb.[7] The KGGB is capable of striking targets from long-distances and features fire-and-forget capability.[8] It was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and LIG Nex1.

Design

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The KGGB is a precision-guided munition (PGM) with improved accuracy and range attached with CK-100K GPS/INS guidance kit[1] in conventional general purpose bombs.[7] This system, which combines a Global Positioning System (GPS) with an Inertial Navigation System (INS), allows for effective operation regardless of time of day or adverse weather conditions. It features an anti-GPS jamming function, enabling it to strike targets with high accuracy even in a GPS-denied environment, significantly enhancing survivability and mission success.[9] Mission planning data established on the ground is stored in the Pilot Display Unit (PDU) controlling the KGGB, entered into the fighter-mounted KGGB, and after takeoff, if a bomb is dropped within the mission area, the bomb will fly in the air and hit the target.[7]

When the pilot enters the coordinate values for target strikes into the PDU, the coordinate information is stored in the guidance kit, ready to drop the bomb. Guided bombs with military GPS receivers with a built-in Selective availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM) can strike targets along a flight path set to unpowered gliding after being dropped, and can also immediately modify the path to strike the rear of the target.[10]

The guidance kit is combined with a special main wing assembly called Flaperon that can control flight direction, flight altitude and flight speed in the air. This wing assembly controls the flight direction by adjusting the lift force of the wing during flight, or acts as a flight altitude increase, deceleration or flight altitude decrease, acceleration of flight speed, and serves to fly further away and accurately hit the intended target.[11] The Flaperon enables it to execute a turning attack on an enemy target concealed behind a hill or mountain while also contributing to stable posture control in challenging wind conditions.

The guidance system also supports two distinct flight modes, providing tactical flexibility. The Circular mode allows the bomb to orbit the target and approach from a desired direction, while the Waypoint mode enables it to follow a pre-set flight path, bypassing threat areas to safely reach its target.[9] The KGGB also features a target entry angle adjustment function. This allows pilots to precisely set the bomb's final descent angle, with a range of 20 to 75 degrees. This functionality is critical for engaging targets in complex environments, such as those hidden behind natural terrain or urban structures.[9]

The KGGB is equipped with a wind direction estimation algorithm that analyzes and compensates for surrounding wind speed and direction in real-time during its flight. Given that wind speeds increase significantly with altitude, this feature plays a crucial role in maximizing both the weapon's range and its terminal accuracy. By continuously adjusting its flight path based on these real-time atmospheric conditions, the KGGB can maintain its trajectory and ensure a precise strike, even on distant targets.[9] The system incorporates advanced altitude management technology to ensure precise target engagement. This technology controls the bomb's excess kinetic and potential energy to guide it into the target accurately. Because the KGGB is equipped with Flaperons, which generate lift, the system can regulate the bomb's descent speed during the final attack phase. This prevents the bomb from overshooting the target and ensures a highly accurate strike.[9]

The KGGB's GPS-aided INS devices allow the bomb to attack targets independently, and the fighter can safely return to the base immediately after the bomb is dropped, ensuring fighter and pilot viability. The KGGB is a standalone type guided weapon that can be mounted on F-4 Phantom, F-5 Tiger, F-15K Slam Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, FA-50 Fighting Eagle and KF-21 Boramae fighter jets and is remotely controlled by the PDU without the need for further modifications or systems to the aircraft.[7]

Variants

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KGGB 2

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Since 2020, South Korea has been developing a new variant, the KGGB 2. It is expected to be further equipped with a seeker and control system, enabling it to target moving objects, along with a mid-infrared seeker, semi-active radar (SAR), and a weapons data link (WDL). Additionally, its weight is expected to increase from 500 pounds to 1,000 pounds.[9]

ADD and LIG Nex1 are developing advanced versions of the KGGB, creating a multi-purpose precision-guided bomb. These variants will incorporate an electrostatic bomb and an aerial mine delivery system. The KF-21 Boramae and future FA-50 aircraft will be equipped with a KGGB Interface Unit (KIU), allowing them to control up to four of these bombs.[9]

Combat history

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On July 24, 2025, The KGGB has seen combat use by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in their conflict with Cambodia. Photos from July 2025 show a RTAF F-16 carrying a Mk-82 bomb converted with the KGGB kit, which Thailand acquired from South Korea in 2022. The RTAF used this South Korean-made bomb guidance kit when its F-16As struck Cambodian military targets. Images on social media on June 25, 2025, showed the KGGB on the left wing of a RTAF F-16, converting a Mk-82 500 pound (220 kg) drop bomb into a precision surface-strike munition.[12]

Operators

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KGGB operators

Current operators

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Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Thailand
  • Royal Thai Air Force: The RTAF first acquired 20 units of the KGGB kit from South Korea in 2022. These were obtained in two batches for an initial cost of approximately $2.8 million and were intended for testing and integration on their aircraft, specifically the T-50TH and F-16 jets.[9][15]
  • Recent reports and social media imagery indicate that the RTAF has since used these KGGBs in combat, marking their first known operational use outside of the Korean peninsula. The reported strikes, conducted during a recent border conflict with Cambodia, targeted military command posts.[12]

Potential operators

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Colombia
  • The Colombian Air Force has shown significant interest in the air-to-ground guided bomb 'KGGB,' which can be mounted on existing fighter aircraft without the need to modify their avionics.[16]
Poland

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Strategic Public Relations Office (21 December 2012). "기품원, 중거리 GPS 유도키트 초도생산품 품질평가회 개최". Defense Agency for Technology and Quality. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  2. ^ "KOREA AEROSPACE INDUSTRY 2020-2021" (PDF). Korea Aerospace Industries Association. October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2025. p. 32
  3. ^ a b Yang Nak-gyu (4 June 2012). "北전파교란이 노린 정밀유도폭탄". The Asia Business Daily. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Choi Pyeong-cheon (22 January 2020). "방사청, 3월 '차기 중어뢰' 양산 계약…장보고함 탑재". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. ^ "KGGB main wing assembly". Daara Online Exhibition. 2020. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "[국방과학연구소 제공] 중거리 GPS 유도 키트 시험 발사 영상". Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea. 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e "KGGB (korean GPS Guided Bomb)". LIG Nex1. 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Member Companies < Korea Defense Industry Association". www.kdia.or.kr. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "스마트 폭탄으로 만든 핵심기술 ◆한국형 GPS 유도 폭탄, KGGB! ◈KGGB TMI 대방출 Part Ⅱ ♡리얼웨폰K 15회ㅣ국방홍보원". KFN. 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "더욱 완벽해진 성능으로 하늘을 지키다". LIG Nex1. April 2017. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  11. ^ "[밀리터리 인 테크] 사거리가 다르다… 대한민국 유도폭탄 KGGB '날개의 비밀'". Tech Plus. 3 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b Parth Satam (26 July 2025). "Thai F-16 Shown with South Korean KGGB Bomb Before Strikes Against Cambodia". The Aviationist. Archived from the original on 2 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Saudi Arabia purchased South Korean guided bombs". www.realrussiatoday.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  14. ^ "[대영제국] 태국, 한국산 KGGB로 폭격! 캄보디아 2개 사단 지휘소 초토화". 대영제국. 1 August 2025.
  15. ^ Jon Grevatt (30 August 2022). "Defense & Security 2022: LIG Nex1 unveils newly developed RCWS". Janes Information Services. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  16. ^ 전현건 (5 February 2025). "트럼프, 콜롬비아 방산 수출 제재에 한국 '반사이익' 기대". www.bizhankook.com.
  17. ^ Jeong Jae-hwon (17 January 2025). "Poland aims to acquire Korean GPS Guided Bombs to enhance military capabilities". biz.chosun.com.
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