Raytheon UK awarded support contract for UK Paveway

Raytheon UK has been awarded a 10 million pounds Sterling (approximately $16 million), four-year contract to provide continued in-service support for both current and legacy UK Paveway Weapon Systemsfor the UK Ministry of Defence. Raytheon UK will be responsible for key support activities including configuration management, design support, obsolescence, safety management, spares provision and quality assurance.

Bob Delorge, chief executive, Raytheon UK, said: "This contract demonstrates Raytheon UK's leading industry expertise in the complex weapons arena, where the company delivers fast and reliable in-service support for both current and legacy UK Paveway Weapon Systems. In addition to this, our Paveway Global Factory initiative demonstrates that Raytheon UK's manufacturing facility in Glenrothes continues to be a nationally important technology leader and export success."

Simon Pearce, the UK Ministry of Defence Freefall Weapons Project Team Leader, said: "Paveway weapons are playing a prominent role in support of current operations and Paveway IV has become the freefall weapon of choice by providing the very best technology for operations with its combat-proven all-weather, day and night capability, as well as its ability to be integrated across legacy and future aircraft."

Paveway IV's capabilities have been proven through deployment by the RAF on Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan and, more recently, Operation ELLAMY, where the key priority is preventing casualties among the local population while delivering the required military effect.

Flt Lt Chris Wright, 31Sqn QWI, commented: "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."

Source: Raytheon

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