Paveway-IV components
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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. See Raytheon brochure [PDF format] | RAF | Defence Suppliers Directory (not MoD).

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, a recent MoD statement reveals that testing problems with the Thales UK’s Aurora fuze have removed that option. Did that stop the British? No, and now a contract has been finalized to add another platform…

Paveway-IV partners
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UK MoD:

“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.”

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 believes qualification will be delayed at least until November 2007, with an estimated sign-off on the weapon’s final design certification coming at the end of the year and a new set capability trials during “the first half of 2008.”...

The contract is firm-priced, meaning the contractors will bear the burden of any cost overruns. 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.

UPDATES:

Harrier GR9
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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.

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.