GBU-12 Paveway II

GBU-12 Paveway II
GBU-12 Paveway II
Type	Laser guided bomb
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Unit cost	US $21,896
Specifications
Weight	230 kg (510 lb)
Length	3.27 m (10.7 ft)
Diameter	273 mm (10.7 in)
Effective firing range	14.8 km (9.2 mi)

The GBU-12 Paveway II is an American aerial laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 82 500-pound general-purpose bomb, but with the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. A member of the Paveway series of weapons, Paveway II entered into service c. 1976. It is currently in service with the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force, U.S. Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, Colombian Air Force, Swedish Air Force, and various NATO air forces.

GBU-12 bombs (along with the balance of the Paveway series) are produced by defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Raytheon began production after purchasing the product line from Texas Instruments. Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to compete with Raytheon when there was a break in production caused by transferring manufacturing out of Texas. "Paveway II" refers specifically to the guidance kit, rather than to the weapon itself. See also GBU-16 Paveway II, where the same guidance unit is fitted to a Mk 83 1,000-lb bomb.

The US Department of Defense has upgraded GBU-12 production versions to include GPS guidance modes. Lockheed Martin is the sole source for US Navy purchases of this version. Raytheon sells upgraded GBU-12s to the US Government and other nations. Raytheon production of the GBU-12 is centered in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. Lockheed Martin production is centered in Pennsylvania.