Raytheon [RTN] has been awarded a $16 million, four-year contract to provide continued support for current and legacy U.K. Paveway laser guided bomb systems for the U.K. MoD, the company said yesterday.
Raytheon UK will be responsible for support activities including configuration management, design support, obsolescence, safety management, spares provision and quality assurance, according to a press release.
The Paveway IV has been used by the RAF on Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan and Operation ELLAMY in Libya, where the key priority is preventing casualties among civilians while delivering the required military results.
Flt Lt Chris Wright stated, “Paveway IV has brought us to a new level in weaponeering capability. Simple to employ with generous launch envelopes, the ability to alter the flight, impact and fusing of the weapon in-cockpit all the way until release, gives aircrew huge flexibility in achieving the exact effect desired. This has resulted in it being our weapon of choice for a wide range of targets and is hugely popular with Forward Air Controllers who love the range of effects available in one weapon from airburst to delay fusing, and hybrid laser and GPS guidance.”
Raytheon UK also designs, develops and manufactures a range of high-technology electronic systems and software at its facilities in Harlow, Glenrothes, Portsmouth, Uxbridge, Waddington and Broughton.