November 7, 2026
The Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) program—developed to create low-cost, long-range cruise missiles specifically for Ukraine—appears to have impressed the Americans to such an extent that the U.S. Air Force put out a request for information (RFI) for what it is currently calling ERAM Glide, which is expected to be capable of striking targets at ranges of up to 200 km
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Stand-In Strike division put out еру RFI on Mondey, November 2, seeking options for a new unpowered 500-pound air-launched glide bomb, The TWZ reports.
Evidently, this new program was inspired by the success of the ERAM small cruise missile initiative, which was originally launched to address Ukraine’s needs. However, the missiles also proved popular with the Americans themselves, who have praised this new class of small cruise missiles for their low cost and rapid development timeline.
It appears the U.S. Air Force now aims to replicate the success of the ERAM program, this time for long-range guided glide bombs. The requirements for ERAM Glide are quite ambitious, especially when compared to the specifications of other existing glide bombs.
Specifically, the new ERAM Glide Bomb is required to have a glide ratio of at least 10:1, with more than 15:1 preferred. This ratio indicates how many kilometers a bomb can travel while losing 1 kilometer of altitude. Based on these requirements, the ERAM Glide Bomb should be able to cover a distance of 100 to over 150 kilometers when released from an altitude of 10 km; if launched from a higher altitude, its range could potentially reach 200 km.
JDAM-ER during testing by the Royal Australian Air Force / Open source photoFor comparison, russian FAB bombs equipped with UMPK (glide/correction) modules have a glide ratio of approximately 4:1 to 5:1; American JDAM-ER bombs have a ratio of about 6:1 to 7:1, while the GBU-39/B features a ratio of roughly 10:1. Consequently, the ERAM Glide Bomb will have a significantly greater range than existing glide bombs.
Like the ERAM small cruise missile, the ERAM Glide is designed to fit the dimensions of a 500-pound (226.8 kg) class weapon. However, the ERAM Glide Bomb carries only 105 pounds (47.6 kg) of explosive material—a relatively small amount for a bomb of this size.
It is worth noting that the GBU-39/B, which has a total mass of 139 kg and contains 16 kg of explosives, hasperformed quite well in Ukraine—though it has faced issues regarding the resilience of its guidance system against electronic warfare countermeasures.
The warhead of the ERAM Glide is intended to provide high-explosive, fragmentation, and limited penetration effects. Key requirements include high resistance to electronic warfare (EW) measures—specifically GPS signal jamming—as well as an accuracy of 10 meters, even in environments with active electronic interference.
Proposals for the ERAM Glide program must be submitted by December 2 of this year. Bidding companies must be prepared to demonstrate solutions with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 or 7 within 14 months of contract award.
It is likely that companies will begin unveiling their versions of the glide bombs developed under the ERAM Glide program over the coming year; we may also see initial testing during this timeframe. For now, we must await further details.
It is worth noting that ERAM-class cruise missiles—specifically the AGM-188A Rusty Dagger—are already in use in Ukraine. Furthermore, a new variant of the AGM-188A Rusty Dagger has recently been introduced, featuring a ground-launch capability
“ERAM Missiles for Ukraine Impressed U.S. So Much That They Decided to Start ERAM Glide Program Create New Long-range Bomb”
Translation: The Ukrainians have had impressive success eliminating lots of ruskie meat and material with these bombs.