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| Raytheon Paveway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Paveway series |
| Origin | United States |
| Type | Laser-guided bomb |
| Service | 1970s–present |
| Used by | United States United States Air Force, United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Australian Defence Force, Saudi Arabian Air Force, others |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon Technologies, formerly Texas Instruments, Henschel Flugzeugwerke |
| Weight | variants 500–2000 lb |
| Length | varies |
| Caliber | n/a |
Raytheon Paveway is a family of laser-guided bomb (LGB) conversion kits that turn unguided free-fall bombs into precision-guided munitions. Developed during the Vietnam War era and widely produced into the 21st century, the series has been integrated on aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, Panavia Tornado, and Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Paveway kits have been used in conflicts from the Yom Kippur War aftermath period through the Gulf War (1991), Kosovo War, Iraq War (2003–2011), and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).
Development began in the late 1960s when United States Air Force programs sought improved accuracy for conventional ordnance after experiences in the Vietnam War. Early work by Texas Instruments produced the first production kits, influenced by research at Arnold Engineering Development Complex and testing at Eglin Air Force Base. The designation Paveway derived from Project PAVE programs associated with United States Department of Defense initiatives such as PAVE PAWS and PAVE Tack. Subsequent corporate reorganizations saw production move through Raytheon Technologies and partnerships with contractors including BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin. Iterative improvements led to multiple generations—first-generation Paveway I, second-generation Paveway II, and more advanced Paveway III and Paveway IV developments tied to modernization efforts by Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) procurement and United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency interests.
The basic design adds a semi-active laser seeker and guidance electronics to a conventional general-purpose bomb such as the Mark 82, Mark 83, or Mark 84. Paveway II features two fixed canards and aft control surfaces integrated with the bomb body, while Paveway III introduced larger guidance sections and proportional navigation for longer standoff range, adopted by platforms like Panavia Tornado IDS and F-111 Aardvark. Variants include 500‑lb, 1,000‑lb, and 2,000‑lb conversions commonly referred to by their warhead designations; later developments such as dual-mode Paveway IV incorporate GPS/INS from Raytheon systems and modular fuzing to meet requirements from procurement agencies including UK Ministry of Defence and United States Naval Air Systems Command. Export-tailored models have been packaged with pylons and software cleared for operators like Royal Australian Air Force and Israeli Air Force.
Paveway seekers use an electro-optical semi-active laser homing head that detects reflected laser energy from designators such as the AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR or ground-based devices like the AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder family. Guidance electronics implement proportional navigation and closed-loop control to drive actuator-controlled canards and tailplanes; successive generations improved seeker sensitivity and resistance to countermeasures assessed by United States Air Force Research Laboratory. GPS/INS augmentation added satellite navigation referenced to Navstar GPS constellations and inertial measurement units sourced from suppliers such as Honeywell International to permit all-weather, non‑laser employment in updated variants. Integration with aircraft stores management and targeting pods, including LANTIRN, Sniper XR, and LITENING, expanded mission flexibility for strike packages coordinating with AWACS assets like E-3 Sentry.
Paveway conversions typically retain the original Mk-series general-purpose warheads—blast‑fragmentation configurations optimized for military objectives similar to PBX-109 and legacy explosive fills—while modular fuzes provide options for contact, delayed-burst, and airburst functions. Specialized warheads have been adapted for penetration roles, including hardened-penetrator designs to engage reinforced structures comparable to munitions used by USAF precision strike squadrons. Insensitive munitions (IM) compliant fills and electronic safe‑arming devices were incorporated following directives from NATO and Department of Defense policy to improve transport and storage safety.
Paveway-equipped bombs first entered wide operational use in late 1960s and 1970s regional conflicts and saw extensive employment during the Gulf War (1991) where coalition air forces including Royal Air Force and United States Air Force claimed high sortie effectiveness. Subsequent campaigns in Operation Allied Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom showcased LGBs for precision strikes against fielded targets, command nodes, and infrastructure, often integrated into combined arms operations with assets like AH-64 Apache gunships and carrier strike groups led by USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Combat assessments by organizations such as RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies document mission effectiveness, limitations under poor visibility, and doctrine shifts toward GPS-aided munitions. Use by export customers in regional conflicts and counterinsurgency operations drew international attention and interoperability challenges addressed in multinational exercises like Red Flag and Exercise Pitch Black.
Production was scaled across defense contractors and subcontractors including Raytheon Technologies, originally Texas Instruments, with manufacturing facilities collaborating with suppliers across the United States and allied industries in United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel. Primary operators include the United States Air Force, United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, and numerous NATO and Middle East partners. Exports followed government-to-government agreements overseen by agencies such as Defense Security Cooperation Agency and Foreign Military Sales processes, sometimes accompanied by training programs conducted at bases like Nellis Air Force Base and Luke Air Force Base.
Paveway performance depends on the base bomb and seeker generation: typical circular error probable (CEP) figures for laser-guided conversions range from sub‑10 meters under ideal conditions for early models to single-digit meters for improved seekers and guidance algorithms used in later variants. Stand-off range varies with release altitude and speed—Paveway III and glide-assisted kits achieved greater range than Paveway II—while warhead yields correspond to Mk‑82, Mk‑83, and Mk‑84 charge classes. Integration parameters include compatibility with stores lugs and aircraft avionics standards such as MIL‑STD‑1760 for delivery and weapon interface, and environmental tolerance testing aligned with MIL‑STD‑810.
Category:Guided bombs Category:Air-to-ground weapons Category:Raytheon weapons