As hostilities with Cambodia proceed, images present a RTAF F-16 carrying a Mk-82 bomb transformed with the KGGB equipment which Thailand acquired from South Korea in 2022.
Hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia proceed for the third consecutive day, with stories about clashes within the southern Thai area of Trat. Thailand warned that the state of affairs might erupt right into a full-scale warfare, after a lingering border dispute escalated into preventing on Jul. 24, 2025. Reviews by midday on Jul. 25, 2025, put the variety of deaths at the least at 14, largely civilians.
Movies confirmed artillery duels, with Cambodian BM-21 Grad MLRS (A number of Launch Rocket Programs) and Thai ATMOS 155 mm self-propelled artillery firing. Based on AFP, a state of emergency declared by Thailand covers eight border provinces, and issued journey advisories.
Reuters quoted Thailand’s performing Prime Minister Phumtam Wechayachai, “The state of affairs has intensified and will escalate right into a state of warfare.” His Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet in the meantime criticized Bangkok’s choice to again away from an initially agreed ceasefire proposal tabled by ASEAN (Affiliation of South East Asian Nations) chairperson Anwar Ibrahim.
🇹🇭✈️ Thai Air Power showcases a signed aerial bomb utilized by an F-16 (A/B) throughout current airstrikes on the 🇹🇭/🇰🇭 Thailand-Cambodia border.
The bomb seems to be a home MK-82 fitted with South Korea’s 🇰🇷 LIG Nex1 KGGB precision-guided glide equipment — boosting accuracy in contested… pic.twitter.com/RB31ph5ajZ
— EASTFRONT (@eastfront1) July 25, 2025
South Korean bomb steerage equipment utilized by RTAF
The RTAF (Royal Thai Air Power) has reportedly used a South Korean-made bomb steerage equipment when its F-16As struck Cambodian army targets. Pictures on social media on Jun. 25, 2025 confirmed the KGGB – abbreviation by its South Korean maker LIG Nex1 for the Medium-Vary Air-to-Floor weapon – on the left wing of a RTAF F-16, changing a Mk-82 500 pound (220 kg) drop bomb right into a precision surface-strike munition.
The 2nd Military Area has launched photographs exhibiting Royal Thai Air Power F-16 fighter jets conducting precision airstrikes on Cambodian army command posts.
The operation focused the eighth and ninth Assist Infantry Division Headquarters, which had been recognized as key items… pic.twitter.com/PSO535anuv
— Bangkok Submit (@BangkokPostNews) July 24, 2025
The Thai bomb has a number of handwritten messages, just like the “Hi there Hunsen” be aware that was seen written on one other Mk-82 bomb. The opposite weapon was transformed with the Elbit Programs Lizard III steerage equipment.
The KGGB presents similarities with the GBU-62 JDAM-ER, as they each make use of a wing equipment and GPS/INS steerage. Within the KGGB’s case, nonetheless, it’s reported that the steerage corrections are made by the specifically designed wing equipment.
The reported most vary of the weapon is 103 km, relying on the discharge altitude.
🇰🇭⚡️🇹🇭 Cambodian forces launched a concentrated BM-21 rocket assault towards the Chong Bok space moments in the past. pic.twitter.com/48GlFP7SFS
— #Insider (@insider_der) July 25, 2025
KGGB acquisition by Thailand and South Korea
The RTAF and the RoKAF (Republic of Korea Air Power) acquired the KGGB in 2022 and 2018, respectively, for his or her F-16s (designated by the RoKAF as KF-16) and KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) FA-50/T-50TH Golden Eagles. The bomb will also be built-in on the RoKAF’s F-4E Phantom IIs, F-5 and F-15K Slam Eagle.
The combination can reportedly be carried out with none software program or mission system modification, by way of utilizing what LIG Nex1 describes as an exterior PDU (Pilot Show Unit). The RTAF’s future Saab Gripen E/Fs might develop into one other launch plane.
A Thai M758 a number of rocket launcher was positioned instantly on a public street earlier than firing towards Cambodian territory, stories say.#Thailand #Cambodia #BorderClash #BreakingNews #สกายนานิ pic.twitter.com/meTnukH8cx
— EASTFRONT (@eastfront1) July 25, 2025
In an archived November 2023 report concerning the RTAF integrating the KGGB on their F-16, Imaeil mentioned that the service acquired in 2022 a complete of 20 KGGBs from LIG Nex1 in two installments. The RTAF additionally launched “flight coaching data” of the bomb equipment, in what might be a testing marketing campaign.
Janes in Aug. 2022 additionally talked about the RTAF’s KAI T-50TH Golden Eagle as the unique KGGB-operator plane, an plane of which the RoKAF is the biggest person. Whereas the RTAF operates 14 T-50THs as Lead-In Flight Trainers (LIFT) – with the ‘T’ designation denoting the coach variant of the FA-50 – the use from the F-16 bears its compatibility from Western plane.
The RoKAF itself makes use of 1,200 KGGBs acquired in 2018. The DAPA (Protection Acquisition Program Administration) expanded in Jan. 2020 that stock, in line with Yonhap, with an unidentified variety of extra KGGBs for 470 billion received ($3.39 billion as per right now’s charges).
KGGB glide bomb equipment
LIG Nex1’s product brochure calls it a “GPS-aided kits enhance vary and accuracy to make sure fighter survivability.” An older archived web page from on LIG Nex1’s web site additionally exhibits the PDU. That is considerably just like the MAGTAB (Marine Air Floor Pill) used for the LRPF (Lengthy-Vary Precision Hearth) check of what was later revealed as L3Harris’s Crimson Wolf and Inexperienced Wolf collection of air-launched results.
The archived web page mentioned that the PDU permits the KGGB to be operated by “5 kinds of fighters with out modification.” The web page additionally confirmed a picture of the KGGB being examined from a KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle. An inset picture of the PDU exhibits what seems to be a typical map interface, serving to to mark the goal location to ship the KGGB on.
A Jan. 2021 video rendition of the KGGB’s operational idea exhibits an F-15K releasing two KGGBs, earlier than returning to base. The KGGB-kitted bombs enter a GPS/INS (International Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System) steerage part after gliding for a distance, earlier than placing the land targets.
Imaeil added that the KGGB offers the unguided MK-82 bomb a most vary of 110 km, with a 3 meter CEP (Round Error Chance). “It’s doable to alter targets or carry out a turning assault mid-flight, permitting for long-range precision strikes on enemy targets hidden on mountain slopes,” the report added, referring to the kind of North Korean land targets the RoKAF itself must have interaction.
“It may possibly exactly strike targets equivalent to North Korean long-range artillery hidden in hills, mountains, tunnels, and mine shafts from a protracted distance or from behind,” Yonhap added. Imaeil additionally billed the weapon as cheaper than the American equal just like the JDAM-ER (Joint Direct Assault Munition-Prolonged Vary).
There have additionally been stories about LIG Nex1 growing a brand new variant, the KGGB 2. That is reportedly anticipated to sport a dual-mode mid-infrared and Semi-Energetic Laser (SAL) seekers and a Weapons Knowledge Hyperlink (WDL), enabling it to be retasked and obtain concentrating on updates mid-flight.
H/T @seominsoo730306 for the heads-up!
