Paveway IV

Paveway IV
A Paveway IV laser-guided bomb fitted to a Harrier GR9.
Type	Precision-guided munition
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	2008
Used by	Royal Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Wars	Operation Herrick Operation Ellamy Operation Shader
Production history
Manufacturer	Raytheon UK
Specifications
Weight	500 lb (230 kg)
Guidance system	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). 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.

The Paveway IV entered service with the Royal Air Force in 2008. It has yet to be accepted into service with the United States, which has pursued the development of the Laser-JDAM and dual mode Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB).

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

The Paveway IV was first used operationally by the Royal Navy during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. It was later used operationally during Operation Ellamy in Libya, and Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria. 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.