| GBU-10 Paveway II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Unpowered guided weapon |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,000 lb (910 kg)[1] |
| Length | 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) |
| Diameter | 18 in (460 mm) |
| Effective firing range | More than 8 nmi (9.2 mi; 15 km) |
TheGBU-10 Paveway II is an AmericanPaveway-serieslaser-guided bomb, based on theMk 84general-purpose bomb, but with laser seeking capabilities and wings for guidance. Introduced into service c. 1976, it is used today by theUSAF,US Navy,US Marine Corps,Royal Australian Air Force and variousNATO air forces.
The GBU-10 has been built in more than a half-dozen variants with differentwing andfuse combinations. Weight depends on the specific configuration, ranging from 2,055 to 2,103 lb (932 to 954 kg).GBU-10 bombs (along with the balance of the Paveway series) are produced bydefense contractorsLockheed Martin andRaytheon. Raytheon began production after purchasing the product line fromTexas 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 inArizona,Texas, andNew Mexico. Lockheed Martin production is centered inPennsylvania.
According to Raytheon's fact sheet for the Paveway II, 99 deliveries of guided munitions will yield acircular error probable (CEP) of only 3.6 feet (1.1 m), compared to a CEP of 310 feet (94 m) for 99 unguided bombs dropped under similar conditions.
On 14 February 1991, an air-to-air kill was scored by a GBU-10 when anF-15E Strike Eagle of the335th Tactical Fighter Squadron hit anIraqi Air ForceMil Mi-24 Hind. 30 seconds after firing, the F-15E crew thought the bomb had missed and were about to fire anAIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile when the helicopter suddenly exploded.[2]
BothLockheed Martin andRaytheon have developedGPS-guided versions of the GBU-10.[3][unreliable source?] Lockheed Martin calls its version the DMLGB (Dual-Mode LGB) GPS/INS, and the U.S. Navy issued Lockheed Martin a contract in 2005 for further development of the weapon system. The GPS/INS-equipped version of the GBU-10 produced by Raytheon is the GBU-50/B, also informally also known as the EGBU-10 (GPS/INS-enabled LGBs are frequently referred to as Enhanced GBUs or EGBUs). So far, Raytheon-built Paveway II EGBUs have only been produced for export, and have been used in combat by the BritishRoyal Air Force over Afghanistan and Iraq.
