Mwatana and Bellingcat document Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen with GBU-12 Paveway II or Mk 82 Paveway material, including recovered components from 2016 and 2018 strike sites.
Role detailsMunitions
Mk 82 fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit
Also known as
- Lizard guidance kit
- Lizard precision guidance kit
- Lizard laser guidance kit
- Lizard-3
- Lizard 3
- Lizard-4
- Lizard 4
- Lizard-5
- Lizard 5
- Lizard-guided Mk 82
- GBU-12 Paveway II
- GBU-12/B
- Paveway II Plus
- Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb
This entry covers Mk 82-class 500-pound bombs fitted with Paveway II or Elbit Lizard-family guidance kits. Direct conflict evidence supports GBU-12 Paveway II/Mk 82 Paveway use in Yemen, while Lizard-3, Lizard-4, and Lizard-5 remain documented here as sourced guidance-kit configurations and compatibility relationships.
Role in Conflicts
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States and Israel
- Built in
- United StatesIsrael
- Type
- 500-pound guided-bomb configuration
- Service note
- Cold War-present guidance-kit family on a 500-pound Mk 82 bomb body
- Designer
- Texas Instruments Paveway lineage; Elbit Systems Lizard guidance-kit family
- Unit cost
- Reported GBU-12 production unit cost: about $19,000 (2003 dollars)
- Produced
- 1950s-present for Mk 82 bodies; later guidance kits remain in production
Specifications
- Weight
- 500 lb class
- Warhead
- About 195 lb high explosive fill
- Guidance
- Paveway II laser guidance; Lizard-3 laser guidance; Lizard-4 laser plus GPS/INS guidance; Lizard-5 imaging-infrared guidance
- Compatibility
- MK 81/82/83/84 general-purpose bombs; Elbit also lists BLU-109 and MPR500/1000/2000 penetration warheads
- Lizard-3 performance
- Elbit advertises effectiveness against moving targets up to 100 km/h and CEP below 6 ft (2 m)
- Lizard-4 range
- Elbit advertises up to 40 km standoff range for the dual-mode Lizard-4 configuration
- Lizard-5 mode
- Elbit describes Lizard-5 as an IIR seeker option for image navigation within large uncertainty and cloud-coverage scenarios
- Integration
- Lizard-3 can use a mechanical interface; Lizard-4 supports mechanical and electrical ICD options based on MIL-STD-1760 or independent integration
Lizard Guidance Kit Context
Elbit markets Lizard as a modular guidance-kit family for turning general-purpose air-dropped bombs into precision-strike munitions. The Lizard-3 configuration is laser guided, Lizard-4 adds GPS/INS for autonomous and adverse-weather attack options, and Lizard-5 adds an imaging-infrared seeker option.
Compatible bodies
Elbit lists Mk 81, Mk 82, Mk 83, Mk 84, BLU-109, and MPR500/1000/2000 warheads for Lizard-family integration.
500-pound Israeli body
The MPR 500 keeps Mk 82 dimensions, is compatible with Mk 82 guidance systems and standard fuzes, and is separately listed as compatible with JDAM, Paveway II, and Lizard kits.
Conflict-use boundary
OSMP has cataloged Mk 82/Mk 80-series remnants in the Palestinian Territories as Paveway- or Lizard-series material, but the public entries do not identify a specific Lizard model. The Yemen conflict row is therefore scoped to GBU-12 Paveway II/Mk 82 Paveway sources, not to Lizard.
Variants
The record groups closely related 500-pound Mk 82-class guided-bomb configurations where the same bomb body can be fitted with different front and tail guidance-kit families.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| GBU-12 Paveway II | Mk 82-class Paveway II configuration | The established GBU-12 configuration pairs a 500-pound Mk 82-class bomb body with Paveway II laser-guidance components, and Air & Space Forces lists Lockheed Martin and Raytheon as contractors for the GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II family. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs, Paveway Bomb, GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II |
 | Lockheed Martin Paveway II guidance-kit production line | Lockheed Martin identifies GBU-12/MK-82 as one of the Paveway II Plus configurations, making the kit line a linked production and upgrade context for this 500-pound Paveway entry. Sources: Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb, Lockheed Martin 100,000th Paveway II Plus Delivery |
 | 500-pound dual-mode Enhanced Paveway II branch | Air & Space Forces lists GBU-49 as a 500-pound Paveway II family weapon that adds GPS guidance to laser guidance, separating it from the laser-only GBU-12 branch represented here. Sources: GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II |
| Lizard-3 on Mk 82/MPR 500-class bodies | Laser-guided Lizard configuration | Elbit describes Lizard-3 as a laser guidance kit with an IMU for proportional navigation and Mk 81/82/83/84 plus MPR-series compatibility. |
| Lizard-4 on Mk 82/MPR 500-class bodies | Laser and GPS/INS Lizard configuration | Elbit describes Lizard-4 as a dual-mode laser and GPS/INS kit with autonomous weapon capability and an advertised standoff range of up to 40 km. |
| Lizard-5 on Mk 82/MPR 500-class bodies | Imaging-infrared Lizard configuration | Elbit's newer air-solutions catalog lists Lizard-5 as an IIR-seeker configuration for image navigation within large uncertainty and cloud-coverage scenarios, with an advertised standoff range of up to 40 km. Sources: Elbit Air Solutions Catalog |
Carrier Aircraft
The AV-8B Harrier II is documented with GBU-12-class guided bombs in its loadout. Textron Aviation Defense lists the AT-6 Wolverine among aircraft that can carry GBU-12-class Mk 82 guided bombs. Embraer's A-29 brochure lists guided Mk 82-class stores among the aircraft's external weapons. Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory lists the GBU-12 Paveway II configuration in the aircraft's external carriage matrix.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Lead-in fighter trainer | The Hawk 127 armament table lists GBU-12 laser guided bombs, which are Mk 82-class guided bomb configurations covered by this entry. Sources: RAAF Hawk GBU-12 carriage |
 | V/STOL attack aircraft | The AV-8B PDF fact file lists GBU-12 among the Harrier's air-to-ground weapons, and this entry covers the Mk 82/Paveway-Lizard family that includes GBU-12 configurations. Sources: NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact File |
 | Light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft | Textron Aviation Defense lists GBU-12 (500 lb.) Paveway II laser-guided bombs on the AT-6 Wolverine stores page, which matches this Mk 82/Paveway-Lizard family entry. Sources: AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation Defense |
 | Light attack aircraft | Embraer's A-29 brochure lists GBU-12, GBU-58, and Lizard IV guided Mk 82-class stores among the aircraft's external weapons. Sources: A-29 Super Tucano brochure |
 | Multirole fighter aircraft | Boeing's Advanced F-15 weapons inventory explicitly lists GBU-12 Paveway II in the aircraft's external carriage matrix. Sources: Advanced F-15 Weapons Inventory |
 | Multirole fighter aircraft | A U.S. Air Force video page documents an F-16 Fighting Falcon dropping an inert GBU-12 during a 2020 training event. Sources: 480th EFS F-16 GBU-12 drop |
 | Close air support aircraft | Air Combat Command video metadata documents A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots dropping GBU-12s during weapons-training sorties. Sources: USAF A-10s drop GBU-12s |
 | Carrier-capable strike fighter | A U.S. Marine Corps DVIDS image record documents Marines mounting a GBU-12 Paveway II on an F/A-18C Hornet. Sources: DVIDS F/A-18C GBU-12 mounting |
 | Carrier-capable strike fighter | A DVIDS image record documents GBU-12 Paveway II bombs moved to an F/A-18F Super Hornet aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Sources: DVIDS F/A-18F GBU-12 loading |
 | STOVL strike fighter | A U.S. Marine Corps article documents an F-35B releasing an inert 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II during weapons-separation testing. |
 | Carrier variant strike fighter | A Pax River Integrated Test Force story documents an F-35C external-release test using four GBU-12 inert test assets. Sources: F-35C external GBU-12 testing |
 | Attack and reconnaissance aircraft | Aviation Week reported an Elbit contract to supply Lizard laser-guided bombs for Italian Air Force AMX aircraft. Sources: Aviation Week Italian Lizard order |
 | Strike aircraft | Air Tractor says the AT-802U can be fitted with a GBU-12, and Air & Space Forces says Sky Warden can launch GBU-12 500-pound bombs. Sources: AT-802U at SOFIC 2019 Goes Beyond "Light Attack", Armed and Dangerous |
 | Armed unmanned aerial vehicle | U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper fact sheets document MQ-9 carriage of GBU-12-class guided bombs, which this entry covers as the Mk 82/Paveway-Lizard family. Sources: MQ-9 Reaper Fact Sheet |
Bomb Body Compatibility
The guided configuration is built around a 500-pound Mk 82-class bomb body fitted with Paveway- or Lizard-family guidance components.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 500-pound bomb body | ARES describes guidance kits for Mark 80-series air-delivered bombs and identifies Mk 82-based Paveway and Lizard configurations, tying this guided entry back to the baseline Mk 82 bomb body. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs |
Guidance-Kit Family Links
Closely related catalog entries split the 500-pound bomb body from specific guidance-kit families when public evidence supports a narrower page.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Paveway II production and upgrade line | Lockheed Martin's Paveway II Plus material identifies GBU-12/MK-82 as a qualified configuration, linking this Mk 82 Paveway entry to the separate Paveway II Plus kit-line page. Sources: Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb, Lockheed Martin 100,000th Paveway II Plus Delivery |
 | Infrared-guided Mk 82 configuration | The Opher page covers the infrared branch of Elbit's older Whizzard-family Mk 82 conversions, while this entry covers the Paveway and Lizard laser or multimode branches. Sources: Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombs |
 | Recovered Israeli guidance-kit configuration | OSMP compares recovered Chameleon 3 components to Elbit's Lizard family and the broader Paveway-style modular guidance concept, making it useful adjacent context rather than a confirmed Lizard designation. Sources: OSMP Lizard kit model, Elbit Lizard |
Timeline
Mk 82 fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit Key Events
Italian AMX Lizard order reported
Aviation Week reported an Elbit contract to supply Lizard laser-guided bombs for Italian Air Force AMX aircraft.
Asia-Pacific Lizard contract announced
Elbit announced an approximately $220 million, 15-month contract to supply Lizard precision guidance kits for airborne munitions to an unnamed Asia-Pacific country.
Lizard and Paveway remnants cataloged in Gaza context
OSMP cataloged Gaza-related Mk 82/Mk 80-series remnants tagged as Paveway or Lizard kit material, but the public notes do not separate Lizard from Paveway for an exact conflict-use row.
Media
Mk 82 fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit Videos
Mk 82 fitted with a Paveway- or Lizard-series guidance kit Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
RAAF Hawk GBU-12 carriagePublisher: Royal Australian Air Force | Note: Supports the Hawk 127 armament table that lists GBU-12 laser guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Guidance kits for Mark 80 series air-delivered bombsPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports MK 82 weight class, Paveway and Lizard compatibility, designation conventions, and general background/specifications for Mk 82-based guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-02A-29 Super Tucano brochurePublisher: Embraer | Note: Supports A-29 Super Tucano external-store carriage listings that include guided Mk 82-class bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28GBU-12 Paveway II - GlobalSecurity.orgPublisher: GlobalSecurity | Note: Supports the reported production unit cost for the GBU-12 Paveway II and general background/specifications for the weapon. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Elbit LizardPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports Lizard family background, manufacturer context, and compatibility with MK81-84 bombs. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Elbit Lizard brochurePublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports Lizard-3 and Lizard-4 configuration distinctions, Mk 81/82/83/84 and MPR-series compatibility, advertised Lizard-3 moving-target performance, Lizard-4 range, and integration notes. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Elbit Air Solutions CatalogPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports the air-solutions catalog description of Lizard-3, Lizard-4, Lizard-5, seeker/warhead interchange, MPR 500 compatibility, and Mk-80-family guidance-kit compatibility context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Elbit MPR 500 brochurePublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports MPR 500 dimensions, Mk 82 guidance-system compatibility, and listed compatibility with JDAM, Paveway II, and Lizard kits. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Elbit 2022 Lizard contractPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports the June 29, 2022 Asia-Pacific Lizard precision-guidance-kit contract timeline entry and broad manufacturer/export context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Paveway BombPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports Paveway family background and the conversion of Mk 80-series bombs into precision-guided munitions. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Paveway II Plus Laser Guided BombPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus product identity, guidance-kit role, gravity-bomb conversion function, and compatibility with Mk 80-series and BLU-109 warheads. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Lockheed Martin 100,000th Paveway II Plus DeliveryPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports Lockheed Martin qualification across GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-16 Paveway II Plus configurations and the 100,000th kit delivery milestone. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GBU-10/12/49 Paveway IIPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports Paveway II family background, GBU-12 use of a 500-pound bomb body, listed contractors, dimensions, warhead, guidance, and integration context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Aviation Week Italian Lizard orderPublisher: Aviation Week | Note: Supports the reported 2001 Italian Air Force AMX Lizard laser-guided bomb contract timeline entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Mwatana US weapons in YemenPublisher: Mwatana for Human Rights | Note: Directly supports 2014 Yemen Civil War use: documents Saudi/UAE-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen with U.S.-made GBU-12 Paveway II or Mk 82 Paveway material, including GBU-12/Mk 82 context in strike investigations. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Bellingcat Yemen wedding GBU-12Publisher: Bellingcat | Note: Directly supports 2014 Yemen Civil War use: identifies GBU-12 Paveway II wing-assembly remnants after an April 2018 Saudi-led coalition wedding strike in Yemen and discusses prior Saudi-led coalition GBU-12 use. | Accessed: 2026-07-04OSMP Lizard kit modelPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: Supports the source-limit context that some Mk 82/Mk 80-series remnants are cataloged as Paveway- or Lizard-series material without a specific Lizard model attribution. | Accessed: 2026-07-02GBU-12 Paveway II photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a public-domain GBU-12 Paveway II image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20GBU-12 xxl imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a public-domain GBU-12 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20ADEX Lizard display photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image licensing and provenance page for a CC BY 4.0 photo that includes a LIZARD/MPR guidance-kit display. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Advanced F-15 Weapons InventoryPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports the F-15 external carriage matrix that lists GBU-12 Paveway II among the aircraft's supported stores. | Accessed: 2026-06-27480th EFS F-16 GBU-12 dropPublisher: U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Training Wing | Note: Supports F-16 Fighting Falcon carriage/release context by documenting an F-16 dropping an inert GBU-12 during a training event. | Accessed: 2026-07-04USAF A-10s drop GBU-12sPublisher: U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command | Note: Supports A-10 Thunderbolt II carriage/release context by documenting A-10 pilots dropping GBU-12s during weapons-training sorties. | Accessed: 2026-07-04DVIDS F/A-18C GBU-12 mountingPublisher: DVIDS / U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports F/A-18C Hornet carriage context by documenting a GBU-12 Paveway II mounted on an F/A-18C Hornet. | Accessed: 2026-07-04DVIDS F/A-18F GBU-12 loadingPublisher: DVIDS / U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports F/A-18F Super Hornet carriage context by documenting GBU-12 Paveway II bombs moved to an F/A-18F Super Hornet aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. | Accessed: 2026-07-04F-35B second airborne weapons separationPublisher: U.S. Marine Corps / F-35 Public Affairs | Note: Supports F-35B carriage/release context by documenting release of an inert 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II during weapons-separation testing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04F-35C external GBU-12 testingPublisher: DVIDS / F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force | Note: Supports F-35C carriage/release context by documenting an F-35C external-release test with four GBU-12 inert test assets. | Accessed: 2026-07-04TWZ Saudi Arms DealPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports Saudi F-15S and F-15SA carriage of GBU-12/B Paveway bombs in the Saudi arms-deal package context. | Accessed: 2026-06-28AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation DefensePublisher: Textron Aviation Defense | Note: Supports AT-6 Wolverine carriage of GBU-12-class Mk 82 guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28AT-802U at SOFIC 2019 Goes Beyond "Light Attack"Publisher: Air Tractor | Note: Supports the AT-802U's fit for GBU-12-class 500-pound laser-guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Armed and DangerousPublisher: Air & Space Forces | Note: Supports Sky Warden's launch of GBU-12 500-pound bombs from its hardpoints. | Accessed: 2026-06-28NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact FilePublisher: Naval History and Heritage Command | Note: Supports AV-8B Harrier II carriage of GBU-12-class guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28MQ-9 Reaper Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the MQ-9 Reaper as an armed UAV carrier platform for GBU-12-class guided bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28