Paveway IV explained

Paveway IV
Origin:United Kingdom
Type:Precision-guided munition
Is Missile:yes
Service:2008
Used By:Royal Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
Wars:Operation Herrick
Operation Ellamy
Operation Shader
Operation Prosperity Guardian
Manufacturer:Raytheon UK
Weight:500lb
Guidance:Inertial, GPS Aided Inertial and/or Semi-Active Laser
Launch Platform:British Aerospace Harrier II
Panavia Tornado
Eurofighter Typhoon
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

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

The Paveway IV entered service with the Royal Air Force in 2008.[2]

The Paveway IV's first export sale was to the Royal Saudi Air Force in a deal worth approximately £150 million (US $247 million).[3] 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.[4]

The Paveway IV was first used operationally by the Royal Air Force during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. It was later used operationally during Operation Ellamy in Libya, and Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria.[1] [5] 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.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8] [9] The sales are being investigated by the Committees on Arms Export Controls.[10]

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 500lb Paveway IV would replace the RAF's previous 2000lb Paveway III bunker buster.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] 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,[15] 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

Current

[3]

Former

Future

Qatar
Ukraine

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Paveway IV. 7 January 2015. Royal Air Force. https://web.archive.org/web/20141231155406/http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/paveway4.cfm. 31 December 2014. dead.
  2. News: 17 September 2015 . Paveway IV Dual-Guidance Bomb On Aircraft Integration Path . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231004123552/https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/my-pgm-for-a-fuze-paveway-iv-hits-trouble-in-britiain-03644/ . 4 October 2023 . Defefnse Industry Daily.
  3. News: Larrinaga . Nicholas de . 25 March 2014 . Saudi Arabia becomes first Paveway IV export customer . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140327221355/http://www.janes.com/article/35968/saudi-arabia-becomes-first-paveway-iv-export-customer . 27 March 2014 . 7 January 2015 . IHS Jane's.
  4. News: Chuter . Andrew . 25 March 2014 . Raytheon Secures First Export for Paveway IV . dead . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20140328160446/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140325/DEFREG01/303250021/Raytheon-Secures-First-Export-Paveway-IV . 28 March 2014 . 7 January 2015 . Defense News.
  5. Web site: Hoyle . Craig . 30 September 2014 . RAF Tornados strike first Islamic State targets . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200312115349/https://www.flightglobal.com/raf-tornados-strike-first-islamic-state-targets/114654.article . 12 March 2020 . FlightGlobal.
  6. News: 3 December 2015 . Syria air strikes: RAF Tornado jets carry out bombing . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230326050428/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34992032 . 26 March 2023 . 29 December 2015 . BBC News.
  7. Web site: Chuter . Andrew . 25 February 2015 . Saudi Typhoons Use Paveway IV Bombs on ISIS . live . https://archive.today/20240110221848/https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2015/02/25/saudi-typhoons-use-paveway-iv-bombs-on-isis/ . 10 January 2024 . 25 February 2015 . Defense News.
  8. News: Hopkins . Nick . 4 November 2016 . MoD seriously misled me on Saudi arms sales, says Vince Cable . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231209003751/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/04/mod-seriously-misled-me-on-saudi-arms-sales-says-vince-cable . 9 December 2023 . 5 November 2016 . The Guardian.
  9. News: 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 . subscription . live . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-could-be-prosecuted-for-war-crimes-over-missiles-sold-to-saudi-arabia-that-were-used-to-kill-a6752166.html . 25 May 2022 . 5 November 2016 . The Independent.
  10. News: Milmo . Cahal . 10 March 2016 . Saudi Arabia's use of British weapons in Yemen to be investigated by Parliamentary commission . subscription . live . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/saudi-arabia-use-of-british-weapons-in-yemen-to-be-investigated-by-parliamentary-commission-a6922906.html . 25 May 2022 . 5 November 2016 . The Independent.
  11. Web site: Chuter . Andrew . 18 November 2014 . RAF To Be Equipped With Bunker Busting Version of Paveway IV . dead . https://archive.today/20141122175332/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20141118/DEFREG/311180042/RAF-Equipped-Bunker-Busting-Version-Paveway-IV . 22 November 2014 . Defense News.
  12. Web site: Hoyle . Craig . 15 September 2015 . UK orders penetrating warhead for Paveway IV bomb . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108123258/https://www.flightglobal.com/dsei-uk-orders-penetrating-warhead-for-paveway-iv-bomb/118198.article . 8 November 2020 . FlightGlobal.
  13. News: Cooper . Helene . 14 December 2016 . U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns over Yemen War . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231209003754/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/saudi-arabia-arms-sale-yemen-war.html?_r=0 . 9 December 2023 . The New York Times.
  14. News: 19 June 2015 . F-35B Aces First Release of a UK Paveway IV Bomb . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150714140457/https://www.f35.com/news/detail/f-35b-aces-first-release-of-a-uk-paveway-iv-bomb . 14 July 2015 . 29 December 2015 . Lockheed Martin.
  15. News: Paveway IV. 29 December 2015. Royal Air Force. https://web.archive.org/web/20150516163617/http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/paveway-iv.cfm. 16 May 2015. dead.
  16. Web site: Allison . George . 2024-01-12 . Paveway – The bomb used to blast Houthi targets in Yemen . 2024-01-16 . en-GB.
  17. Web site: 2024-01-12 . What weapons did the UK and US use in their strikes against the Houthis? . 2024-01-16 . Forces Network . en.
  18. Web site: Cabirol . Michel . 12 March 2019 . MBDA propulse son carnet de commandes à des niveaux record . MBDA boosts its order book to record levels . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230813001225/https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/mbda-propulse-son-carnet-de-commandes-a-des-niveaux-record-808918.html . 13 August 2023 . La Tribune . French.
  19. Web site: UK to transfer Paveway IV bombs to Ukraine, reports say . MSN . English.