Munitions

GBU-16 Paveway II

Also known as
  • GBU-16
  • GBU-16/B
  • GBU-16A/B
  • GBU-16B/B
  • GBU-16C/B
  • EGBU-16
  • GBU-48(V)1/B
  • 1,000-pound Paveway II
  • Paveway II GBU-16
  • Mk 83 Paveway II

The GBU-16 Paveway II is the 1,000-pound member of the U.S.-origin Paveway II laser-guided bomb family, combining a Mk 83 or BLU-110-class bomb body with seeker, control, and airfoil kit components. It requires reflected laser energy from a designator rather than autonomous target search, and its documented record spans U.S. Navy carrier aviation, allied operators, and Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes investigated in Yemen.

GBU-16 Paveway II, 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions
Image source: Sailors Arm a GBU-16 Paveway II

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
1,000-pound laser-guided bomb
Service note
Paveway II family initial operational capability in 1976; documented GBU-16 service from U.S. Navy strike operations through 2014 Yemen Civil War remnant investigations
Designer
Texas Instruments Paveway lineage; Raytheon and Lockheed Martin production sources
Designed
Early 1970s Paveway II family development; initial operational capability listed in 1976
Produced
Paveway II family in production after 1976 IOC; Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus follow-on production contracts covered GBU-16-class kits in the 2010s

Specifications

Weight class
1,000 lb / 453.5 kg class
Approximate all-up weight
About 495 kg / 1,092 lb for the GBU-16/B configuration
Length
About 3.68 m / 12 ft 1 in
Diameter
35.6 cm / 14 in bomb-body diameter
Warhead
Mk 83 or BLU-110/B 1,000-pound-class general-purpose bomb body
Guidance
Semi-active laser Paveway II guidance kit with forward control group and rear airfoil group
Kit components
KMU-455/B kit family with MAU-169-series computer control group and MXU-667/B airfoil group in baseline GBU-16/B listings
Launch domain
Air-to-surface free-fall guided bomb
Related Paveway II family
GBU-12 uses a 500-pound bomb body; GBU-10 uses a 2,000-pound bomb body
Variants
VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
GBU-16A/B, GBU-16B/B, and GBU-16C/BComponent-designation variants

Designation-Systems groups these GBU-16 marks under the Paveway II 1,000-pound family, with kit and bomb-body combinations defining the subvariants.

Sources: Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

GBU-16 with Mk 83 or BLU-110/B body1,000-pound-class bomb-body configurations

NAVAIR describes the GBU-16 as a Mk 83 1,000-pound bomb modified with a common Paveway II laser-guidance kit, while Designation-Systems also lists BLU-110/B-family body configurations.

Sources: Direct Attack Weapons, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

GBU-48(V)1/B Enhanced Paveway IIGPS/INS-aided EGBU-16 derivative

Designation-Systems identifies GBU-48(V)1/B / EGBU-16 as an Enhanced Paveway II derivative of the 1,000-pound GBU-16 branch.

Sources: Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb, Laser-guidance kit for gravity bombs, MunitionsPaveway II Plus Laser Guided BombLockheed Martin modernized Paveway II production line

Lockheed Martin identifies GBU-16/MK-83 as the 1,000-pound configuration covered by its Paveway II Plus qualification and production material.

Sources: U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus Contract

Bomb Body And Kit Compatibility

The GBU-16 is defined by a 1,000-pound-class bomb body fitted with Paveway II guidance hardware, with later Lockheed Martin material placing the same configuration inside Paveway II Plus production coverage.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
1,000-pound drop bomb, Free-fall bomb, Munitions1,000-pound drop bombMk 83 / BLU-110 bomb-body class

NAVAIR describes the GBU-16 as a Mk 83 1,000-pound bomb fitted with a common Paveway II laser-guidance kit, while Designation-Systems lists Mk 83 and BLU-110/B-family bodies in GBU-16 configurations.

Sources: Direct Attack Weapons, Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway II

Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb, Laser-guidance kit for gravity bombs, MunitionsPaveway II Plus Laser Guided BombModernized Paveway II guidance-kit line

Lockheed Martin's Paveway II Plus production release identifies GBU-16/MK-83 as the 1,000-pound Mk 80-series configuration covered by its qualified kit line.

Sources: U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus Contract

Carrier Aircraft

Public Navy records and imagery document GBU-16 carriage on U.S. carrier and expeditionary strike aircraft.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter

DVIDS documents a GBU-16 loaded on an F/A-18 Hornet aboard USS Enterprise for Operation Desert Fox, and a U.S. Naval Institute account describes four strike F/A-18s each loaded with two GBU-16s.

Sources: Aviation Ordnancemen Load F-18 Hornet with GBU-16 Laser Guided Bomb, Desert Fox: The Third Night

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18E/F Super HornetCarrier-capable multirole strike fighter

DVIDS documents VFA-115 ordnancemen arming a GBU-16 Paveway II on an F/A-18E aboard USS George Washington.

Sources: USS George Washington sailors arm a GBU-16 Paveway II

AV-8B Harrier II, V/STOL light attack and close-air-support aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAV-8B Harrier IIV/STOL light attack aircraft

The NHHC AV-8B fact file lists GBU-16 among Harrier II compatible air-to-ground munitions.

Sources: NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact File

Timeline

GBU-16 Paveway II Key Events

  1. Paveway II initial operational capability

    Air & Space Forces Magazine lists 1976 as initial operational capability for the Paveway II laser-guided bomb family that includes the GBU-16 active variant.

    Sources: GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II

  2. Desert Storm GBU-16 employment

    FAS reports that Navy A-6E aircraft dropped 219 GBU-16s during Operation Desert Storm, with self-designation capability central to that employment.

    Sources: GBU-16 Paveway II

  3. Operation Desert Fox carrier loading

    A DVIDS archive caption documents ordnancemen loading a GBU-16 laser-guided bomb on an F/A-18 Hornet aboard USS Enterprise during Operation Desert Fox strikes against Iraq.

    Sources: Aviation Ordnancemen Load F-18 Hornet with GBU-16 Laser Guided Bomb

  4. Paveway II Plus GBU-16 production coverage

    Lockheed Martin announced a Paveway II Plus follow-on production contract and identified the GBU-16 Mk 83 1,000-pound configuration among covered laser-guided bomb kits.

    Sources: U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus Contract

  5. Yemen remnant investigations

    Human-rights and munitions investigators reported likely GBU-16 Paveway II bombs with Mk 83 warheads in Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrike cases in Yemen.

    Sources: Day of Judgment: The Role of the US and Europe in Civilian Death, Destruction, and Trauma in Yemen

Media

GBU-16 Paveway II Images

GBU-16 Paveway II, 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - view 1
Source: GBU-16 Paveway Loading Image
GBU-16 Paveway II, 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - view 2
Source: Loading a GBU-16 onto an F/A-18C
GBU-16 Paveway II, 1,000-pound laser-guided bomb, Munitions - view 3
Source: GBU-16 Assembly Station Image
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-24 Paveway III, 2,000-pound-class laser-guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-24 Paveway III2,000-pound-class laser-guided bombThe GBU-24 Paveway III is a U.S.-origin 2,000-pound-class laser-guided bomb family that combines a Paveway III guidance section and airfoil group with Mk 84, BLU-109, or related hard-target bomb bodies. Official and military-history sources document GBU-24 use in the Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and the 2003 Iraq War, while Yemen rights-monitoring sources identify GBU-24 or Paveway III-series remnants from Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes where fragmentary evidence can limit exact bomb-body identification.
Paveway laser-guided bomb, Laser-guided bomb guidance-kit family, MunitionsMunitionsPaveway laser-guided bombLaser-guided bomb guidance-kit familyPaveway is a U.S.-origin family of laser-guided bomb kits that turns conventional gravity bombs into precision air-to-surface weapons by adding a seeker, computer-control group, and airfoil surfaces. Raytheon traces production to 1968, while later Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon UK lines cover Paveway II, Paveway III, dual-mode Enhanced Paveway, Paveway IV, and Paveway II Plus kits documented in combat-use and transfer records from the Falklands and Gulf War through Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and Yemen.

Sources

Paveway II Plus Laser Guided BombPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports Paveway II Plus compatibility with BLU-109 warheads and the GBU-16-class Paveway II configuration context. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Direct Attack WeaponsPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports background and specifications for laser-guided bombs, including the GBU-16 as a 1,000-pound bomb modified with a common Paveway II laser guidance kit. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus ContractPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports manufacturer background and the GBU-16 Mk 83 1,000-pound Paveway II configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Paveway BombPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports Raytheon manufacturer background and the Paveway family role in converting unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Raytheon (Texas Instruments) Paveway IIPublisher: Designation-Systems.net | Note: Supports GBU-16/B dimensional data, Mk 83 and BLU-110/B warhead configurations, KMU-455/MAU-169/MXU-667 component listings, and GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II variant context. | Accessed: 2026-06-24GBU-10/12/49 Paveway IIPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports Paveway II family background, 1976 initial operational capability, contractors, semi-active laser guidance, and identification of GBU-16 as the laser-guided 1,000-pound active variant. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Operation Desert Storm: Evaluation of the Air CampaignPublisher: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Note: In the 1990 Gulf War, supports GBU-16 expenditure counts from the Desert Storm air campaign's laser-guided munition table. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GBU-16 Paveway IIPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: In the 1990 Gulf War, supports Navy A-6E release of 219 GBU-16 bombs during Operation Desert Storm; also supports Operation Desert Fox GBU-16 use by F/A-18 aircraft against Iraq. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Operation Iraqi Freedom - By The NumbersPublisher: U.S. Central Air Forces | Note: In the 2003 Iraq War, supports the listed expenditure of 1,233 GBU-16 laser-guided bombs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Precision and Purpose: Airpower in the Libyan Civil WarPublisher: RAND Corporation | Note: In the 2011 First Libyan Civil War, supports Italian Tornado IDS and Navy Harrier carriage of GBU-16 Paveway II bombs during Operation Unified Protector. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Aviation Ordnancemen Load F-18 Hornet with GBU-16 Laser Guided BombPublisher: DVIDS | Note: In the 1991 Iraqi No-Fly-Zone Conflict period, supports carrier-aircraft relationship and Operation Desert Fox use context by documenting a GBU-16 loaded on an F/A-18 Hornet aboard USS Enterprise for attacks against Iraq. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Desert Fox: The Third NightPublisher: U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings | Note: In the 1991 Iraqi No-Fly-Zone Conflict period, supports Operation Desert Fox strike-package context, including F/A-18s each loaded with two GBU-16 bombs after Southern Watch operations. | Accessed: 2026-07-04USS George Washington sailors arm a GBU-16 Paveway IIPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports carrier-aircraft relationship context by documenting VFA-115 ordnancemen arming a GBU-16 Paveway II on an F/A-18E aboard USS George Washington. | Accessed: 2026-06-24Day of Judgment: The Role of the US and Europe in Civilian Death, Destruction, and Trauma in YemenPublisher: Mwatana for Human Rights, University Network for Human Rights, and PAX | Note: In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, the report says GBU-16 Paveway II bombs with Mk 83 warheads were likely used by Saudi/UAE-led coalition forces in Yemen airstrikes, including the Al-Honood and Dir Al Hajari cases. | Accessed: 2026-06-20GBU-16 Paveway II SeriesPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, supports Yemen-located GBU-16 Paveway II-series air-delivered bomb remnants classified as Mk 83-series, 1,000-pound guided munitions. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Sailors Arm a GBU-16 Paveway IIPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing context for the primary GBU-16 Paveway II image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20GBU-16 Paveway Loading ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing context for GBU-16 Paveway II munitions being loaded. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Loading a GBU-16 onto an F/A-18CPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance, public-domain licensing context, and carrier-aircraft relationship context for a U.S. Navy photograph of a GBU-16 being loaded onto an F/A-18C Hornet. | Accessed: 2026-06-20GBU-16 Assembly Station ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY 2.0 licensing context for a U.S. Navy GBU-16 assembly photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-20NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact FilePublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports AV-8B Harrier II carriage of GBU-16 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28