Additional Paveway IV bombs for UK MoD
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £25 million contract to Raytheon UK for additional Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, it was announced on 4 December. This latest contract will adhere to the accelerated delivery timeframe of two previous orders, placed over the last year, totalling nearly £80 million.
Paveway IV features dual-mode guidance and is the latest generation of the Paveway family. For extreme accuracy in all operational scenarios it utilises second-generation, state-of-the-art GPS aided inertial navigation that incorporates anti-spoofing and anti-jamming technology. It also incorporates a laser-guidance system and the pilot is able to switch between modes as necessary, even after release, giving the flexibility to attack re-locatable and moving targets as well as fixed targets.
Bob Delorge, chief executive Raytheon UK, said: ‘The Paveway IV is well recognised as being the RAF’s precision-guided bomb of choice, with accuracy, flexibility, and reliability being some of the key characteristics of the system. The Paveway IV weapon system has proved itself pivotal to operations in Afghanistan and also in Libya. This contract will help sustain hundreds of highly skilled staff in Raytheon as well as our UK-based partners while delivering an outstanding operational capability.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes
With its B-26 USV in full-rate production, Blue Ops is seeking to turn overseas interest into orders through a combination of lower operating costs, UAV integration and local manufacturing.
-
Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push
Chief growth officer Sir Nick Hine tells Shephard how Babcock is lining up New Zealand, Chile, Denmark and the US for its Arrowhead 140 frigate, speaks on the hybrid navy offer and talks AUKUS.
-
Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion
Denmark’s doubled deployment, Mediterranean smuggling routes and Norwegian composite hulls show where uncrewed surveillance demand is heading, while British funding remains unclear.
-
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
-
Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties
HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor could return from their current deep maintenance, but unconfirmed operational timelines leave questions over patrol capacity before the first CPSP arrives.