RAF Tornados lock on latest guided munitionReference: UK MoD
Image: Raytheon
The latest in a series of Paveway guided bombs is ready to see service with the RAF's Tornado fleet following six successful months with the Harrier GR9 on operations in Afghanistan.
Defence Equipment and Support staff have been working on integration of Paveway IV to the Tornado GR4. Paveway IV went into service in November 2008 and has become the freefall weapon of choice among pilots flying missions from Kandahar. The weapon is to continue its success story with the RAF's Tornado GR4 aircraft which have taken over from the Harrier GR9s in the fight against insurgents:
Defence Equipment and Support staff have been working on integration of Paveway IV to the Tornado GR4. Paveway IV went into service in November 2008 and has become the freefall weapon of choice among pilots flying missions from Kandahar. The weapon is to continue its success story with the RAF's Tornado GR4 aircraft which have taken over from the Harrier GR9s in the fight against insurgents:
"A number of front line pilots have said they have been very impressed with the weapon and it was the envy of the coalition air forces operating out of Kandahar," said Squadron Leader Ian McKeown, the weapon's requirements manager with Defence Equipment and Support's [DE&S] Freefall Team. "Harriers have dropped a significant number of weapons in support of ground operations against all manner of ground targets and in all modes of operation. Accuracy has been highly impressive and the weapon has not failed to find its target. It does what it needs to do."
Raytheon Systems Ltd (RSL), a UK subsidiary of the American company, won the competition to design the bomb in 2003. Technology for the Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCG) is provided by Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson and Thales Missile Electronics in Basingstoke supplied the all electronic in line fuze. The warhead case is made by General Dynamics in the US, with the explosive fill added by SEI in Sardinia.
