Raytheon Company’s Paveway programme has achieved a major milestone by completing production of the 1,000th 250-pound Paveway laser-guided precision munition. Paveway is a kit that transforms free-fall iron (dumb) bombs into precision guided weapons. The Paveway family of weapons is integrated on more than 25 different types of aircraft in 43 countries, including the Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar and to be acquired the ‘Rafale’ aircraft.

The GBU-58, which is available via direct commercial sale, offers warfighters a small, precision-guided munition that reduces collateral damage. But the kits can be mated with bigger calibre bombs as well to meet specific mission requirements. For example, the IAF Jaguars can carry the indigenous 1,000 lb bombs with Paveway kits for precision strikes by day and night. Paveway II and Paveway III are laser-guidance kits, while the Enhanced Paveway II, Enhanced Paveway III and Paveway IV use both laser and GPS guidance.