- Side
- United Kingdom
Raytheon states that Paveway II first saw combat in the 1982 Falklands War when used by the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force.
Munitions
Paveway laser-guided bomb
Also known as
- Paveway guidance kit
- Paveway kit
- Paveway LGB
- Paveway laser guided bomb
- Paveway II
- Paveway III
- Enhanced Paveway
- EGBU
Paveway 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 and Lockheed Martin lines cover Paveway II, Paveway III, dual-mode Enhanced Paveway, and Paveway II Plus kits used across Falklands, Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen records.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Coalition forces
Air Power Australia reports that Texas Instruments Paveway II-family GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-14 kits were the most numerous laser-guided bomb kits used in the Gulf War, supplemented by Paveway III GBU-24 and GBU-27 weapons.
RTX identifies Paveway bombs among air-to-ground precision-guided weapons used in Operation Enduring Freedom, and Raytheon separately reported more than 500 UK Enhanced Paveways dropped in combat during that operation.
Raytheon reported approximately 10,000 laser-guided bombs used during Operation Iraqi Freedom and described Paveway as the most widely used precision munition in that campaign.
RTX says Paveway bombs made up more than half of the air-to-ground precision-guided weapons used in Unified Protector, the NATO air campaign tied to the 2011 Libya war.
Human Rights Watch documented remnants of U.S.-made GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs after 2016 Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen, and OSMP indexes multiple Yemen remnants under Paveway kit records.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States
- Built in
- United StatesUnited Kingdom
- Type
- Laser-guided bomb guidance-kit family
- Service note
- Initial Paveway production deliveries from 1968; Paveway II entered production in the 1970s and later Enhanced Paveway variants added GPS/INS-aided guidance
- Designer
- Texas Instruments Paveway lineage; Raytheon and Lockheed Martin production sources
- Designed
- Initial Paveway series developed in the late 1960s; Paveway II prototype testing began in 1974
- Produced
- 1968-present in successive Paveway, Paveway II, Paveway III, Enhanced Paveway, and Paveway II Plus production lines
Specifications
- Guidance
- Semi-active laser homing in baseline Paveway; Enhanced Paveway variants add GPS/INS-aided guidance
- Primary components
- Laser seeker or guidance/control section plus computer-control group and rear airfoil or tail kit, fitted to a separate bomb body
- Compatible bomb-body families
- Mk 80-series general-purpose bombs, BLU-109 penetrator warheads, and related BLU-series bodies depending on variant
- Representative Paveway II weight classes
- 250 lb GBU-58, 500 lb GBU-12/GBU-49, 1,000 lb GBU-16, and 2,000 lb GBU-10 configurations
- Representative Paveway III branch
- GBU-24, GBU-27, and GBU-28 hard-target or 2,000-pound-class configurations
- Launch domain
- Air-to-surface free-fall guided bomb
- Manufacturing lineage
- Texas Instruments original lineage; Raytheon primary Paveway producer; Lockheed Martin second-source and Paveway II Plus producer
Guidance Kit Architecture
Paveway records describe a modular air-delivered weapon rather than a single bomb body. The bomb body supplies the explosive effect, while the Paveway kit adds target sensing and flight control.
Target sensing
Laser-guided bomb units track a target illuminated by a laser designator; later Enhanced Paveway branches add GPS/INS guidance for poor-weather or fire-and-forget delivery.
Control package
Paveway II listings center on a computer-control group and an airfoil group fitted to Mk 80-series or BLU-series bomb bodies.
Family spread
The same family logic spans 250-, 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound classes, with separate GBU designations for the assembled weapons.
Variants
Paveway designations usually identify the guidance-kit generation and the bomb body or warhead fitted to it: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, and GBU-58 are Paveway II weight classes, while GBU-24, GBU-27, and GBU-28 sit in the Paveway III branch and Enhanced Paveway variants add GPS/INS-aided guidance.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | 2,000-pound Paveway II configuration | NAVAIR describes GBU-10 as the 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb configuration within the laser-guided bomb family. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | 1,000-pound Paveway II configuration | NAVAIR identifies GBU-16 as a 1,000-pound bomb modified with a common Paveway II laser guidance kit. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | 2,000-pound-class Paveway III configuration | NAVAIR lists GBU-24 as a 2,000-pound BLU-series hard-target penetrator configuration in the laser-guided bomb family. Sources: NAVAIR Direct Attack Weapons |
 | F-117-compatible Paveway III penetrator configuration | Designation-Systems places GBU-27 in the Paveway III family as an F-117-compatible derivative using BLU-109-class penetrator warheads. Sources: Raytheon Paveway III |
 | 5,000-pound-class Paveway III hard-target penetrator | Designation-Systems places GBU-28 in the Paveway III family as a larger hard-target weapon branch. Sources: Raytheon Paveway III |
 | 500-pound dual-mode Enhanced Paveway II configuration | Air & Space Forces Magazine lists GBU-49 as a 500-pound Paveway II active variant that adds GPS guidance for all-weather precision delivery. Sources: GBU-10/12/49 Paveway II |
 | 250-pound Paveway II configuration | Designation-Systems includes GBU-58/B in the Paveway II designation family. Sources: Raytheon Paveway II |
 | Lockheed Martin modernized Paveway II production line | Lockheed Martin describes Paveway II Plus as an advanced guidance system for converting conventional gravity bombs into precision-guided munitions. Sources: Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb |
 | UK dual-mode Paveway branch | OSMP notes that Paveway IV is a Paveway guidance-kit variant compatible with Mk 82-class bombs and using laser guidance with GPS/INS features. Sources: OSMP Paveway Kit |
Compatible Bomb Bodies And Warheads
Paveway entries usually combine a guidance kit with a separate bomb body or penetrator warhead, so the same guidance family appears in several GBU designations.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 250-pound general-purpose bomb body | Designation-Systems lists GBU-58/B as a Paveway II family member using the 250-pound Mk 81 bomb body. Sources: Raytheon Paveway II |
 | 500-pound general-purpose bomb body | NAVAIR identifies GBU-12 as a Paveway II laser-guided bomb using a 500-pound general-purpose warhead, and Designation-Systems lists Mk 82 and BLU-111 bodies for the GBU-12 branch. |
 | 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb body | NAVAIR describes GBU-10 as the 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb configuration, and Designation-Systems lists Mk 84 in the GBU-10 Paveway II branch. |
 | 2,000-pound hard-target penetrator warhead | Lockheed Martin says Paveway II Plus remains compatible with BLU-109 warheads, while Designation-Systems lists BLU-109/B in the GBU-10 branch. Sources: Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb, Raytheon Paveway II |
Timeline
Paveway laser-guided bomb Key Events
Initial Paveway deliveries
Raytheon reported that Paveway kit deliveries began in 1968 and reached 250,000 kits by 2004.
Sources: Raytheon Delivers 250,000th Paveway
Paveway II testing begins
Designation-Systems traces Paveway II prototype guidance-kit testing to 1974, followed by production in 1977.
Sources: Raytheon Paveway II
First Paveway II combat use
Raytheon states that Paveway II first saw combat during the Falklands War in RAF service.
Sources: Raytheon Awarded Paveway Production
250,000th Paveway delivered
Raytheon announced delivery of its 250,000th Paveway laser-guided bomb kit and linked post-9/11 demand to increased production.
Sources: Raytheon Delivers 250,000th Paveway
Paveway II Plus production
Lockheed Martin's Paveway II Plus material describes a modernized guidance-kit line for Mk 80-series and BLU-109 warheads.
Sources: Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb
Media
Paveway laser-guided bomb Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
RTX Paveway BombPublisher: RTX | Note: In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, RTX ties Paveway bombs to Operation Enduring Freedom; in the 2003 Iraq War, it ties Paveway bombs to Operation Iraqi Freedom; in the 2011 First Libyan Civil War, it ties Paveway bombs to Unified Protector. Also supports manufacturer background, Paveway's conversion role, and GPS-guided version context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Raytheon Awarded Paveway ProductionPublisher: Raytheon | Note: In the 1982 Falklands War, Raytheon says Paveway II was used by the UK's Royal Air Force; in the 2003 Iraq War, it says Paveway was the most widely used precision munition in Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Raytheon Delivers 250,000th PavewayPublisher: Raytheon | Note: In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, Raytheon says UK Royal Air Force Enhanced Paveways were dropped in combat during Operation Enduring Freedom; in the 2003 Iraq War, it reports approximately 10,000 laser-guided bombs used in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Also supports Paveway deliveries beginning in 1968, the 250,000-kit milestone, and system architecture. | Accessed: 2026-07-02NAVAIR Direct Attack WeaponsPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports laser-guided bomb behavior and GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, and GBU-24 configuration context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02GBU-10/12/49 Paveway IIPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports Paveway II identity, Paveway II Plus modernization, active variants, contractors, IOC, dimensions, range, guidance, warheads, and integration context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Paveway II Plus Laser Guided BombPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus manufacturer context and compatibility with Mk 80-series and BLU-109 warheads. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Raytheon Paveway IIPublisher: Designation-Systems.net | Note: Supports Paveway II development, production timing, manufacturer lineage, computer-control groups, airfoil groups, and GBU-10/12/16/58/49 designation logic. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Raytheon Paveway IIIPublisher: Designation-Systems.net | Note: Supports Paveway III proportional-guidance context and GBU-24/27/28 family positioning. | Accessed: 2026-07-02GAO Operation Desert Storm Air CampaignPublisher: U.S. Government Publishing Office | Note: Supports 1990 Gulf War air-campaign context, including GAO's review of Desert Storm aircraft, munitions, and laser-guided bomb evidence. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Desert Storm Precision Guided MunitionsPublisher: Air Power Australia | Note: In the 1990 Gulf War, Air Power Australia reports Paveway II-family GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-14 kits and Paveway III GBU-24 and GBU-27 weapons used in the Gulf War air campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Yemen US-Made Bombs Used in Unlawful AirstrikesPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: Human Rights Watch documented GBU-12 Paveway II remnants after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-02OSMP Paveway KitPublisher: Open Source Munitions Portal | Note: In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, OSMP indexes Yemen remnants under Paveway kit records, including Paveway II and Paveway III series items. Also supports Paveway kit component context and identification of Paveway II, Paveway III, and Paveway IV kit relationships. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Paveway II p1230135 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing context for the primary Paveway II family image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Paveway III Seeker Head ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing context for a Paveway III seeker-head gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02GBU-16 Paveway Loading ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing context for a Paveway II loading gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02