GBU-15

Development of the GBU-15 began in 1974 at Eglin Air Force Base as an evolution of the GBU-8 HOBOS used during the Vietnam War. The system was designed to address the limitations of the GBU-8, which required the launch aircraft to fly in close proximity to the target and lacked post-release control. Although initially proposed for an AGM-112 designation, the weapon was assigned the GBU prefix because it is an unpowered glide bomb. Flight testing started in 1975, with the television guidance version completing operational evaluation in 1983 and the imaging infrared version in 1985.

The weapon utilizes a modular architecture consisting of a forward guidance section, a warhead adapter, a control module, airfoil components, and a weapon data link. It is configured with either a Mark 84 general-purpose bomb or a BLU-109 penetrating warhead. For guidance, the system employs a television seeker for daytime use or an imaging infrared system for night and limited weather operations. A data link in the tail section transmits updates to the control aircraft, allowing for remote guidance. The rear control section features four wings in an "X" arrangement with trailing edge flaps for maneuvering, managed by an autopilot that translates guidance data into flight path corrections.

The GBU-15 supports direct and indirect attack modes. In a direct attack, the pilot locks the seeker onto a target before launch, after which the weapon guides itself autonomously. In an indirect attack, the weapon is released and then guided via remote control as the operator searches for the target using the data link. Once the target is acquired, the weapon can be locked to the target or manually guided via the AN/AXQ-14 data-link system.

The system is operated by aircraft including the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-111 Aardvark, and F-4 Phantom II, while the B-52 Stratofortress utilizes the weapon for maritime anti-ship missions. During Operation Desert Storm, F-111F aircraft deployed 71 GBU-15 bombs. The weapon was used to strike oil pipeline manifolds to stop oil from flowing into the Persian Gulf following the sabotage of storage tanks. Management of the GBU-15 was eventually consolidated with the AGM-130 program due to system commonality.