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Рубрики Современность; ВВС; Версия для печати

Называется UK Enhanced Paveway II


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Вот выдержки из Jane's Air-Launched Weapons:


Enhanced Paveway for the Royal Air Force: The Enhanced Paveway programme was given renewed impetus by a UK RAF Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) issued after combat operations over Kosovo and Serbia in 1999 (Operation Allied Force). Known as the Interim Precision Guided Bomb (IPGB), the requirement was for an improved precision guided munition that would be capable of accurate delivery in all weathers. Use of the RAF's existing stocks of laser-guided Paveway II and Paveway III bombs had been severely hampered by bad weather throughout the Kosovo campaign, and also by smoke around targets and on the battlefield. The IPGB was deemed to be 'interim' because of the planned acquisition of the RAF's formal Precision Guided Bomb (PGB) - otherwise known as SR(A) 1248 - by 2006. The PGB competition was won by the Raytheon Paveway IV in June 2003.

The IPGB UOR was issued to Raytheon in August 2000. The new weapon had to be in service (on the upgraded Tornado GR.Mk 4 fleet) by October 2001. The Enhanced Paveway was selected in November 2000 and a GBP42 million contract was signed with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in January 2001. The RAF opted to acquire a small number of Enhanced Paveway IIIs but was more interested in an enhanced version of its existing UK-pattern 1,000 lb Paveway II bombs. The Enhanced Paveway II existed only as a design concept at the time. As a result, Raytheon supplied the UK with new-build Enhanced Paveway III weapons and modification kits for the Paveway II.

Raytheon responded to the UOR in a very short time - IHS Jane's sources say it took just 44 days from contract signature to the first weapons drop. In September 2001 RAF Tornado GR.Mk 4s undertook a major weapons test deployment to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to clear the Enhanced Paveway II and III for service. A total of 16 bombs were dropped during the trials (eight of each type) with the RAF validating a range of delivery modes and attack profiles. This included bomb drops using GPS only, GPS to laser, GPS to laser to GPS again, GPS-laser to GPS-laser. Drops were made against off-axis targets and simultaneous drops against two targets using separate laser and GPS guidance for each bomb were also conducted. The Enhanced Paveway II was cleared for RAF service in October 2001, with the Enhanced Paveway III following in 2002. About 2,000 existing UK bombs are understood to have been modified, using kits supplied and installed by Raytheon.

UK Enhanced Paveway: The United Kingdom was the first customer for the Enhanced Paveway II and the second (after the USAF) for the Enhanced Paveway III weapons. The British Enhanced Paveway II was declared operational with the RAF in October 2001. The Enhanced Paveway III followed in late 2002. The RAF ordered about 100 Enhanced Paveway IIIs and about 1,200 Enhanced Paveway IIs under the initial January 2001 contract. Since then two more follow-on orders have been placed with Raytheon for (approximately) 500 weapons in total.

While the operational status of the Enhanced Paveway III is less clear, the Enhanced Paveway II has entered RAF service on the Tornado GR.Mk 4 and Harrier GR.Mk 7. Tornado GR.Mk 4s made the first combat drops with Enhanced Paveway IIs during Operation South Watch (Operation Jural) missions over the United Nations No-Fly zones across Iraq in 2002 to 2003. Over 100 bombs were dropped against infrastructure and air defence system targets. During the conflict with Iraq in March/April 2003 (Operation Telic), 31 RAF Tornado GR.Mk 4s were deployed and 360 Enhanced Paveway IIs and IIIs were dropped (along with 255 standard Paveway IIs and IIIs). The first UK bombs were dropped on the night of 19/20 March 2003, to suppress Iraqi air defences in support of the USAF F-117 attack that opened the conflict. Beginning in 2005 the Royal Air Force/Royal Navy Joint Force Harrier deployed to Afghanistan was equipped with Enhanced Paveway II weapons, delivering 13 in 2005, 69 in 2006, 105 in 2007 and 12 in 2008. The Harrier force was replaced by Tornado GR.Mk 4s in June 2009. Tornados continue to employ the Enhanced Paveway II but the majority of PGM strikes in Afghanistan involve the 500 lb Paveway IV weapon.

The UK MoD later confirmed that RAF Harrier GR.Mk 7s involved in Operation Telic (and possibly Tornado GR.Mk 4s) dropped inert, concrete-filled Enhanced Paveway II bombs against targets in south Iraq. The use of these 'weapons' (essentially the same blue practice 'shapes' used for bomb training) was intended to reduce any risk of significant collateral damage by relying solely on the kinetic effect of the impact of a 1,000 lb projectile.

In November 2007 the RAF began its first Paveway II drop trials with the Eurofighter Typhoon, over the Aberporth ranges, Wales. Bombs were dropped from a No. 11 Squadron aircraft flown by a pilot from No. 17 Sqn, the Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit. Laser designation for the bombs was provided by a second Typhoon carrying a Litening III pod. The First Block 5 (Tranche 1) RAF Typhoons with 'austere' ground attack capability (No. 11 Sqn) was declared operational in June 2008. However, this capability soon ceased to exist as training priorities and a lack of resources forced the RAF to 'down declare' the ground attack qualification for Typhoon crews. The capability was not restored until 2011 when it was rapidly re-established to allow aircraft and crews from Nos 11 and 3(F) Sqn to deploy to Italy in March 2011 to support RAF combat operations over Libya (Operation Ellamy). RAF Typhoon FGR4s were armed only with Paveway II bombs and flew their first combat mission on 13 April 2011, destroying two Libyan tanks. During one mission, on 25 May 2011, a single Typhoon dropped four Enhanced Paveway IIs while attacking a military complex at Tiji - the first time this had ever been done by a Typhoon. The UK Ministry of Defence will not provide a specific break-down of weapons usage over Libya but the six deployed Typhoon FGR4s (at peak) dropped about 200 Paveway IIs.

Under the Future Capabilities Programme (FCP) weapons upgrade plan for the Typhoon in RAF service the Paveway II/Enhanced Paveway II capability will be retained for Tranche 1 aircraft modified under the 'austere' air-to-ground programme (CP193). However, the capability will not be introduced on Tranche 2, or any subsequent production standard, aircraft.


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