GBU-12 Paveway II
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| GBU-12 Paveway II | |
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| Primary Function: | 500 lb (227 kg) unpowered guided weapon |
| Length: | 10 ft 9 in (2.21 m) |
| Diameter: | 11 in (273 mm) |
| Range: | More than 8 nm (14.8 km) |
The GBU-12 PAVEWAY II laser-guided bomb is an American aerial 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 2 entered into service c. 1976. It is currently in service with U.S. Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, and various NATO air forces.
GBU-12 bombs (along with the balance of the PAVEWAY series) are produced by defence giants 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 transfering manufacturing out of Texas.
The US government has upgraded GBU-12 production versions to include GPS guidance modes. Lockheed Martin is the sole source for US buys of this version. Raytheon sells upgraded GBU-12's to other nations.
Raytheon production of the GBU-12 is centered in Arizona and Scotland. Lockheed Martin production is centered in Pennsylvania.
Laser Guided Bombs are often labeled as "smart bombs", despite requiring external input in the form of laser designation of the intended target. According to Raytheon's face sheet for the PAVEWAY 2, 99 deliveries of guided munitions will yield a circular error probable(CEP) of only 3.6 feet, vice a CEP of 310 feet for 99 unguided bombs dropped under similar conditions.
