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Paveway IV

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Paveway IV
A Paveway IV laser-guided bomb fitted to a Harrier GR9.
TypePrecision-guided munition
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service2008
Used byRoyal Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
WarsOperation Herrick
Operation Ellamy
Operation Shader
Operation Prosperity Guardian
Production history
ManufacturerRaytheon UK
Specifications
Mass500 lb (230 kg)
Guidance
system
Inertial, GPS Aided Inertial and/or Semi-Active Laser
Launch
platform
British Aerospace Harrier II
Panavia Tornado
Eurofighter Typhoon[1]
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II[2][3]

Paveway IV is a dual mode GPS/INS and laser-guided bomb manufactured by Raytheon UK (formerly Raytheon Systems Limited).[1] It is the latest iteration of the Paveway series.

The weapon is a guidance kit based on the existing Enhanced Paveway II Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG) added to a modified Mk 82 general-purpose bomb with increased penetration performance. The new ECCG contains a Height of Burst (HOB) sensor enabling air burst fusing options, and a SAASM (Selective Availability Anti Spoofing Module) compliant GPS receiver. It can be launched either IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) only, given sufficiently good Transfer Alignment, or using GPS guidance. Terminal laser guidance is available in either navigation mode.

History

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The Paveway IV entered service with the Royal Navy in 2008.[4]

The Paveway IV's first export sale was to the Royal Saudi Air Force in a deal worth approximately £150 million (US $247 million).[5] The deal had been delayed for several years by the U.S. State Department which had to authorise the bomb's sale due to its use of American components. A contract was signed in December 2013 with Congressional approval given two months later, with deliveries to begin within 18 months.[6]

The Paveway IV was first used operationally by the Royal Navy during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. It was later used operationally during Operation Ellamy in Libya, and Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria.[1][7] In December 2015, the Royal Air Force began strike operations in Syria as part of Operation Shader, and deployed Paveway IV operationally from its Eurofighter Typhoons for the first time.[8]

In January 2015, Eurofighter Typhoons of the Royal Saudi Air Force dropped Paveway IVs on ISIL targets in Syria. This was the first operational deployment of Paveway IV from Typhoon.[9]

Paveway IVs were also used in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. In 2015 for a period export licences were withheld over concern about how they might be used in Yemen, but after some assurances were made exports were resumed.[10][11] The sales are being investigated by the Committees on Arms Export Controls.[12]

Raytheon UK is conducting preparatory work to equip the Paveway IV with a bunker-busting warhead as part of the Selective Precision Effects At Range (Spear) Capability 1 program. The compact penetrator has the same outer mold line and mass of the regular Paveway IV and uses a discarding shroud design. A penetrating 500 lb (230 kg) Paveway IV would replace the RAF's previous 2,000 lb (910 kg) Paveway III bunker buster.[13] The penetrating version of the Paveway IV will enter service on the Typhoon in early 2019. Raytheon claims the new warhead has the performance of the BLU-109 penetrating bomb, despite being one-quarter of its weight.[14] In December 2016, the Obama administration blocked a transfer of Paveway IV bombs to Saudi Arabia because of concerns about civilian casualties which officials put down to poor targeting.[15]

A Paveway IV laser-guided bomb is released from an F-35 Lightning II during trials in the United States.

On 19 June 2015, a Royal Air Force test pilot released two inert Paveway IV laser-guided bombs from a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II during trials in the United States.[2] This marked the first successful firing of a non-US munition during the F-35's development programme. Paveway IV is a future candidate for integration on the aircraft,[3] and will be used operationally by both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy when the F-35 enters service with both arms.

During the 2024 missile strikes in Yemen by a US-led coalition, Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons used Paveway IV bombs to strike Houthi rebels.[16][17]

Operators

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Map with Paveway IV operators in blue

Current

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 Saudi Arabia[5]
 United Kingdom

Former

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 United Kingdom

Future

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 United Kingdom
Qatar Qatar
Ukraine Ukraine

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Paveway IV". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "F-35B Aces First Release of a UK Paveway IV Bomb". Lockheed Martin. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Paveway IV". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Paveway IV Dual-Guidance Bomb On Aircraft Integration Path". Defefnse Industry Daily. 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Larrinaga, Nicholas de (25 March 2014). "Saudi Arabia becomes first Paveway IV export customer". IHS Jane's. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  6. ^ Chuter, Andrew (25 March 2014). "Raytheon Secures First Export for Paveway IV". Defense News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  7. ^ Hoyle, Craig (30 September 2014). "RAF Tornados strike first Islamic State targets". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Syria air strikes: RAF Tornado jets carry out bombing". BBC News. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  9. ^ Chuter, Andrew (25 February 2015). "Saudi Typhoons Use Paveway IV Bombs on ISIS". Defense News. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  10. ^ Hopkins, Nick (4 November 2016). "MoD seriously misled me on Saudi arms sales, says Vince Cable". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  11. ^ Cusick, James (27 November 2015). "UK could be prosecuted for war crimes over missiles sold to Saudi Arabia that were used to kill civilians in Yemen". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  12. ^ Milmo, Cahal (10 March 2016). "Saudi Arabia's use of British weapons in Yemen to be investigated by Parliamentary commission". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  13. ^ Chuter, Andrew (18 November 2014). "RAF To Be Equipped With Bunker Busting Version of Paveway IV". Defense News. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014.
  14. ^ Hoyle, Craig (15 September 2015). "UK orders penetrating warhead for Paveway IV bomb". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020.
  15. ^ Cooper, Helene (14 December 2016). "U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns over Yemen War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023.
  16. ^ Allison, George (12 January 2024). "Paveway – The bomb used to blast Houthi targets in Yemen". Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  17. ^ "What weapons did the UK and US use in their strikes against the Houthis?". Forces Network. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  18. ^ Cabirol, Michel (12 March 2019). "MBDA propulse son carnet de commandes à des niveaux record" [MBDA boosts its order book to record levels]. La Tribune (in French). Archived from the original on 13 August 2023.
  19. ^ "UK to transfer Paveway IV bombs to Ukraine, reports say". MSN.
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