GBU-10 Paveway II
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| GBU-10 Paveway II | |
|---|---|
| Primary Function: | unpowered guided weapon |
| Length: | 14 ft 4in (3.84 m) |
| Diameter: | 18 in (460 mm) |
| Range: | More than 8 nm (14.8 km) |
American Paveway-series laser-guided bomb, based on the Mk 84 general-purpose bomb, but with laser seeker and wings for guidance. Introduced into service c. 1976. Used by USAF, US Navy, US Marine Corps, RAN and various NATO air forces.
The GBU-10 has been built in more than a half-dozen variants with different wing and fuse combinations. Weight depends on the specific configuration, ranging from 2,055 lb (934 kg) to 2,103 lb (956 kg).
GBU-10 bombs (along with the balance of the Paveway series) are produced by defence 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.
Raytheon production of the Paveway II is centered in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. 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.
