Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $34.5 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-12 kits. The majority share contract includes deliveries to both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and is scheduled to begin the second quarter of 2011.

Paveway II Plus LGB guidance kits significantly improve weapon accuracy and reduce risk to U.S. and allied ground forces when compared to legacy paveway LGBs through implementation of a newly integrated combined hardware and software solution.

"Lockheed Martin proven paveway II Plus LGB provides warfighters a reliable precision capability to help them achieve their mission in today's complex battlefield environments," said Joe Serra, senior manager for Precision Guided Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

"This latest contract will provide for delivery of the first full-rate production quantities of the improved paveway II Plus LGB, a major milestone on the program."

In October 2010, the U.S. Air Force completed a Force Development Evaluation Program at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, for paveway II Plus LGB that included GBU-10 and GBU-12 weapons released from F-15 Eagle and F-16D Viper aircraft. Operational test scenarios evaluated system performance compared to legacy paveway II LGB weapons.

The paveway II Plus LGB is supported through the U.S. Air Force 53rd Test Wing fielding recommendation for full/unrestricted operational employment of both GBU-10 and GBU-12 configurations incorporating the MAU-209C/B paveway II Plus system.

The new system does not require upgrades or modifications to aircraft, ground handling equipment or logistics support, and continues the same basic paveway II concept of operation for employment by converting conventional gravity weapons into precision-guided munitions.

Each kit consists of a MAU-209C/B computer control group containing the electronics guidance system and an air foil group, which provides lift and stability.

Lockheed Martin's LGB kits can be carried on U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and most international aircraft platforms currently authorized to carry and release LGBs. Paveway II and paveway II Plus kits are compatible and interoperable with existing inventory paveway II equipment, handling procedures and aircrew operations.

Lockheed Martin is a qualified provider of all three variants of paveway II and paveway II Plus MK-80 series LGBs, and is the sole provider of the paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round and Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb.

Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 55,000 LGB kits to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and international customers.

Laser guided bombs have been used successfully in Operation Iraqi Freedom and current overseas contingency operations.