The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $131 million contract for follow-on production of Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) kits, the ninth consecutive year in which it has selected Lockheed Martin for the majority share of the LGB kits in this annual competition. The award also includes all available funding for the service’s foreign military sales and replacement kits.
“The U.S. Air Force and its foreign military sales partners realize significant savings in their defense budgets with our affordable and combat-proven LGBs,” said Joe Serra, Precision Guided Systems director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This innovative and cost-effective guidance package supports greater precision for warfighters.”
Paveway II Plus includes an enhanced guidance package that improves accuracy over legacy LGBs. Qualified for full and unrestricted operational employment in GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-16 (1,000-lb) configurations, Paveway II Plus LGBs are cleared for use on U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and international aircraft authorized to carry and release LGBs. Lockheed Martin, which has been a qualified supplier of Paveway II LGB kits since 2001, has delivered more than 100,000 LGB kits to date. The LGB kits are produced in the firm’s 350,000 ft.2 production facility in Archbald, Pa.
