Enhanced Paveway II Demonstrates Re-Targeting Capability

Released on Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated that its Enhanced Paveway II dual-mode GPS/laser guided bomb can be retargeted in flight using a data link, providing the warfighter with the ability to engage moving targets in bad weather.

Two Enhanced Paveway IIs were dropped from a United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 aircraft. Each weapon was twice updated in flight with new target coordinates, and the precision guided munitions accepted the retargeting coordinates and successfully flew to their new final targets.

The tests, which were conducted by the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, marked the first successful demonstration of air-to-ground weapons receiving updated target coordinates after release. The update information can be sent to the weapon by ground-based or airborne forces.

Enhanced Paveway II is a proven weapon that was used successfully by the U.K.'s Royal Air Force during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Raytheon's Enhanced Paveway dual-mode GPS/laser guided munitions are the only fully developed, combat-proven dual mode weapon systems in production today.

The Paveway bomb kits turn "dumb" bombs into precision guided weapons. The Enhanced Paveway II features a Global Positioning System aided Inertial Navigation System as well as laser guidance for precision attacks against both fixed and moving targets. The resulting dual-mode capability offers true operational flexibility: GPS guidance for adverse weather and maximum standoff conditions and laser guidance when required for mobile targets of opportunity. Existing Paveway II laser guided bombs kits already in inventory can be upgraded with the GPS/INS package. Also, this data link capability can be integrated into the Paveway IV currently in development for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence.