New Paveway IV capability for upgraded Typhoon fighters

An upgraded Royal Air Force Typhoon jet fighter has demonstrated the ability to simultaneously drop multiple Paveway IV-equipped precision-guided bombs.

Raytheon UK said the simultaneous release of two Paveway IV bombs at multiple targets by the fighter during a series of flight trials was a first for a Typhoon aircraft.

The Phase 1 Enhancements package, or P1Eb, implements full air-to-surface capability onto Typhoon Tranche 2 aircraft.

"P1Eb allows Typhoon to begin realizing its air-to-ground capability using Paveway IV, while also delivering in the air-to-air arena," said Sean Cutler, deputy head of FAST Capability Acquisition at the Ministry of Defense's Defense Equipment and Support organization. "Our ability to switch between air-to-air and air-to-ground modes is a big step, providing flexibility for our pilots on operations."

Raytheon's Paveway IV is a kit attached to modified MK 82 general purpose freefall bombs, giving them precision laser guidance and GPS/inertial navigation.

The recent trials build on earlier flight trials to fully exploit the Paveway system on the Typhoon. Raytheon said the tests involved self-designation with laser guidance drops to the target and GPS-only guided releases.

The trials demonstrated the full air-to-surface capability of the P1Eb product, with the Paveway IV weapon, including self-designation with laser guidance to the target and GPS-only guided releases