Raytheon Co, TUCSON: The U.S. Navy has successfully demonstrated the extended range capability of a Raytheon Company dual-mode precision guided weapon that offers flexibility not found in other weapons systems being produced.
Six Enhanced Paveway IIs were dropped at the U.S. Navy's China Lake Test Range, Calif. All weapons successfully hit the target. Four of those drops from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft were released outside the launch envelope of both existing inventory GPS-only and laser-only guided bombs. The longest flight was from 20,000 feet altitude over a distance of 12 nautical miles.
The affordable Enhanced Paveway II provides extended range over existing GPS weapons without the need for expensive range kits. It allows the U.S. Navy and Air Force to upgrade their existing laser guided bomb inventories with expanded GPS (Global Positioning System) capabilities, offering one weapon providing both all weather mission success and precision accuracy in any conditions.
Enhanced Paveway II features a GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System (INS) as well as a laser guidance system to offer one precision guided weapon for all situations. The resulting dual-mode capability offers true all-weather 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. In addition Enhanced Paveway II has demonstrated its ability to be accurately guided with the INS in a GPS-denied environment.
“As the U.S. Navy moves to acquire dual-mode bombs to meet the U.S. Marine Corps urgent operational requirement, Enhanced Paveway II offers U.S. warfighters a single inexpensive weapon that is already in production that can be used in all weather conditions against a variety of targets. It offers warfighters improved capabilities and flexibility over what is currently in the Navy's arsenal,” said Duane Gooden, Raytheon's Paveway program manager.
“These tests continue to demonstrate why Enhanced Paveway II was chosen as the dual mode weapon of choice for the U.K., Denmark, Spain and other international customers.”
Enhanced Paveway II is a proven weapon that has already been fully integrated on the Tornado, Harrier and Super Etendard fighter aircraft and integration is under way on the F/A-18, F-16, AMX fighter/bomber, Eurofighter and Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Used successfully by the U.S. Air Force and 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 family, which includes Enhanced Paveway II and III, are the only fully developed, combat proven dual mode weapon systems in production today. The U.K.'s Royal Air Force has made more than 500 highly successful combat drops with Enhanced Paveway II during these recent conflicts.
The Enhanced Paveway II kits are manufactured at Raytheon's Missile Systems business in Tucson, Ariz.
Raytheon Company, with 2004 sales of $20.2 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.
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