Raytheon Company, TUCSON: Raytheon Company's Enhanced Paveway II precision guided weapon demonstrated its continued reliability and unmatched accuracy by successfully hitting intended targets in a recent series of tests by the Royal Danish air force.
The Enhanced Paveway II with dual-mode guidance successfully completed three-of-three operation test and evaluation drops, with one using GPS guidance only and two using GPS-to-laser terminal guidance.
“We are exceptionally pleased with the high performance demonstrated by Enhanced Paveway II in all phases of flight test and eagerly await the extraordinary operational flexibility that these new dual-mode capabilities will bring to our arsenal,” said Warrant Officer M. H. Buch, Royal Danish air force program manager.
The tests were conducted using the Danish EPAF F-16 aircraft, with an interim U.S. Air Force clearance. Full U.S. Air Force clearance for Enhanced Paveway II on the EPAF F-16 is scheduled for September 2006. EPAF F-16 aircraft are also flown by the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Portugal.
The Paveway bomb kits turn “dumb” bombs into precision guided weapons. The Enhanced Paveway II, the next generation of the successful product line, features a Global Positioning System aided Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) as well as a laser guidance system. The resulting dual-mode capability offers true operational flexibility not found in other weapons systems being produced: GPS guidance for poor weather conditions and precise 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.
Enhanced Paveway II is a proven weapon that was used successfully during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The drops in Denmark boosted the Enhanced Paveway II test drop success record to 39 of 39 drops with a CEP (circular error probable) of less than 2 meters, with 100 percent reliability.
Raytheon's legacy of more than 35 years of precision guided bomb development and manufacturing experience has seen more than 250,000 Paveway precision guided weapons delivered to the U.S. and more than 35 allied nations for use on 25 different aircraft.
Paveway was the most widely used precision munition in Operation Iraqi Freedom, with more than 8,700 dropped.
Raytheon is the sole provider of the Paveway family of precision guided weapons. Paveway is a trademark of Raytheon Company.
Raytheon Company, with 2005 sales of $21.9 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
North Korea fires ICBM as US, Seoul slam Russia deployment
North Korea said Thursday it had test-fired one of its newest and most powerful missiles to boost its nuclear deterrent,...
