My PGM for a Fuze… But Paveway-IV is Ready Now
Related Stories: BAE, Bombs - Smart, Britain/U.K., Events, New Systems Tech, Raytheon, Testing & Evaluation, Thales, Transformation
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In 2003, Raytheon UK operation won the GBP 120 million pound contract to develop and produce Paveway IV, beating Boeing’s INS/GPS guided JDAM. The GPS/INS and laser-guided 500-pound bombs are a British project, and will add a number of other enhancements including longer range than previous Paveway versions.
The British military had wanted to deploy Raytheon’s latest Paveway IV bombs in Afghanistan by September 2007, on board its newly-upgraded Harrier GR9 aircraft. Unfortunately, testing problems with the Thales UK’s Aurora fuze removed that option. The MoD found a way to deploy the smart bombs with lesser capabilities by December 2007, and eventually deployed full Paveway IVs on its Harriers in Afghanistan. The weapon is now ready for use with its Tordano GR4 strike aircraft, which are replacing the Harriers…
- Paveway IV: Capabilities and Challenges [updated]
- Paveway IV: Updates [updated]
- Additional Readings
Paveway IV: Capabilities and Challenges
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The Paveway IV brings 2 significant new capabilities to the table.
One is joint laser/GPS guidance. GPS/INS guidance allows pilots to bomb from safe altitudes through clouds, into duststorms, and in other conditions that would defeat laser guidance by making targeting impossible. Laser guidance offers more accuracy due to last minute corrections, and can even be used to hit moving targets under certain conditions.
The other key capability Paveway IV brings lies in its programmable attack modes, which can be entered from the cockpit. Paveway IV is a 500 pound guided glide bomb. Within its range, which depends upon variables like speed and altitude of launch, the pilot can select a desired direction of approach and angle of impact. This improves the likelihood of the weapon’s arrival on target, and may lower the possibility of collateral damage. The pilot also has the ability to select the optimum weapon fuzing mode. Airburst detonates at a set height above ground, to maximize the effect on soft targets out in the open. Detonate on impact is the standard mode. Delayed detonation after impact maximizes the bomb’s effect on hardened targets, by ensuring that more of the blast takes place inside.
Unfortunately, those fuzes turned out to be a problem. UK MoD, 2007:
“As a result of poor system reliability during operational evaluation trials, the Paveway IV in-service date is likely to slip. Mitigation action is being investigated and we cannot, as yet, confirm the new date.”
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While other aspects of the system performed well, fuze difficulties mean bombs that don’t go off. Defense News’ August 20/07 report quotes Raytheon UK Paveway IV program manager John Michel, who believed that qualification would be delayed at least until November 2007, with an estimated sign-off on the weapon’s final design certification coming at the end of 2007 and a new set capability trials during “the first half of 2008.”...
The Paveway IV contract was firm-priced, which means that the contractors bear the burden of any cost overruns caused by re-work, extended schedules, et. al. Meanwhile, other components already are being produced ahead of the fuze section so that overall delivery won’t be as badly affected. The firm has contracts to integrate the weapon on the F-35B (July 2007, GBP 24M), Tornado GR4 (agreement in principle, contract Feb 2008, in service by 2010), and Eurofighter Typhoon F2 (issued from BAE, introduction in 2012).
When integration work on the different aircraft types is added, the overall Paveway-IV project is forecast to cost GBP 341 million pounds, according to the National Audit Office’s 2006 Major Projects Report.
Paveway IV: Updates
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July 16/09: A UK Ministry of Defence article announces that Paveway IV is ready for operational use on Britain’s Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, which are replacing the Harriers at Kandahar.
Dec 10/08: The UK Ministry of Defence officially declares that the Paveway IV has entered service. A Defense News article contends that the weapon has deployed to Afghanistan since November, and has been used in combat. UK MoD | Defense News.
Aug 1/08: The Royal Air Force reports that the Paveway IV has completed its combined Demonstration of Capability and Operational Evaluation Trials, which were conducted in the USA at the Naval Air Warfare Centre in China Lake, CA. The trials demonstrated the full range of Paveway IV’s capabilities, including all of the weapon’s fuzing modes. The RAF added that:
“Whilst the formal AWC trials reporting process is ongoing, there were no issues identified which would prevent the weapon’s progression into Service.”
The tests were conducted using Harrier GR9 aircraft. As noted above, further integration of Paveway IV onto Britain’s Tornado GR4 strike fighters and Eurofighter Typhoons is underway, and weapon integration will also be extended to the future F-35B Lightning II.
Feb 20/07: Raytheon’s UK subsidiary adds the RAF’s Tornado GR4/4A strike aircraft to its strike contracts, moving from agreement in principle to a GBP 8.5 million (about $16.6 million) contract to integrate the weapon with that fighter fleet in 2010.
The program will focus on providing weapon system performance documentation, advice to the development of the aircraft stores management systems, and flight clearance of the weapon onto the aircraft. In support of the flight trials and certification program, Raytheon will provide BAE Systems with the required trials hardware and weapon system simulators. Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Ariz., will supply the enhanced computer control group, telemetry sub-systems, instrumentation, test equipment and associated support. Raytheon release.
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Dec 6/07: When there’s a will, there’s a way. In response to an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for better aerial support in Afghanistan, representatives from BAE Systems and the MOD met key suppliers in the United Kingdom and America (Raytheon Missile Systems, Portsmouth Aviation Limited, and EDO-MBM). Contracts were exchanged in just 10 days, and 4 months later, weapons are headed into theater.
How to get around the problems with Paveway-IV? By joining the Enhanced Computer Control Group from a Paveway-IV to an existing Paveway-II bomb. Integration of the new weapon, rig test, flight trials, weapon performance analysis and certification are all complete, and the hybrid weapon provides the UK’s GR9A Harriers with an integrated precision bombing capability that will still work through clouds, dust storms, and other obscurants. UK MoD release.
Additional Readings
- Raytheon UK – Paveway IV brochure [PDF format]
- RAF – Paveway IV
- UK Defence Suppliers Directory (not MoD) – Precision Guided Bomb (PGB) Weapons System (Paveway IV)
