GBU-12 Paveway II

GBU-12 Paveway II
GBU-12 Paveway II
	Persian Gulf War; War in Afghanistan (2001–2021); Iraq War
Production history
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Unit cost	US $21,896
Specifications
Mass	230 kg (510 lb)
Length	3.27 m (10.7 ft)
Diameter	273 mm (10.7 in)
Effective firing range	14.8 km (9.2 mi)

The GBU-12 Paveway II is an American aerial

U.S. Marine Corps, and various other air forces

.

Development and deployment

The development of the GBU-12 traces back to the Vietnam War. The U.S. Air Force wanted a greater variety of laser-guided bombs, especially a lighter and more maneuverable one to be able to hit moving targets on the Ho Chi Minh trail.^[4] Earlier designs of guided bombs such as the BOLT-117 were quickly superseded by the Paveway series of add-on kits for conventional bombs.

GBU-12 bombs (along with the balance of the Paveway series) are produced by

defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Raytheon began production after purchasing the product line from Texas Instruments. Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to compete with Raytheon when there was a break in production caused by transferring manufacturing out of Texas. "Paveway II" refers specifically to the guidance kit, rather than to the weapon itself. See also GBU-16 Paveway II, where the same guidance unit is fitted to a Mk 83

1,000-lb bomb (454 kg).

The GBU-12 has been used in numerous conflicts such as the

F/A-18.^[5]

Guidance

The

GPS guidance modes.^[6] Lockheed Martin is the sole source for US Navy purchases of this version. Raytheon sells upgraded GBU-12s to the US Government and 23 other nations.^[6]

guided munitions will yield a circular error probable (CEP) of only 3.6 feet (1.1 m), versus a CEP of 310 feet (94 m) for 99 unguided bombs

dropped under similar conditions.

Paveway II laser-guided bombs use what is known as "bang bang" guidance. This means the bomb's fins deflect fully, rather than proportionally when it is attempting to guide to the laser spot. For example, if it sees the laser spot and determines that it should make a change it deflects its fins until it has over-corrected and then it deflects back the opposite direction, creating a sinusoidal type of flight path. This type of guidance may be less efficient at times, however is more cost-effective and allows the use of simpler electronics in the guidance system.