F-35B & Paveway IV
Raytheon press release:
Raytheon awarded contract for Paveway IV Weapon Integration on F-35 Lightning II
(2007-07-30) By: Raytheon Systems Limited
Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) has been awarded a contract to support the integration and flight trials of the Paveway IV new generation guided weapon on to the Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter.The contract is valued at £24 million.
The UK is currently one of six European nations that are planning to take delivery of the F-35 aircraft. The integration of the RSL developed Paveway IV onto the F-35B will ensure that the UK has an autonomous weapon solution for this platform.
Tobin Touchstone, Director of Precision Systems at RSL said, ''This is a significant opportunity for RSL to further develop its aircraft integration portfolio and place RSL's Precision Systems business as one of the U.K.'s centres of excellence for this type of activity. Through technology reachback to the U.S. RSL, along with its Paveway IV team members, has grown significantly the U.K.'s indigenous capability in precision guided weapons.''
The integration programme will focus on providing documentation, input to the development of the aircraft systems and flight clearance of the weapon on to the aircraft. The latter part of the programme will concentrate on support to flight trials and certification. In addition to the general support activities, RSL will also be providing BAE Systems with the required trials hardware.
Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in Tucson, Arizona, will supply the Enhanced Computer Control Group (ECCGs) guidance sections, Telemetry sub-systems, Instrumentation, Test Equipment and associated support.
The F-35B will be the world's first short take-off and vertical landing aircraft capable of operating routinely at supersonic speeds. It also will be the world¿s first stealthy STOVL aircraft. The U.S. Marine Corps, the U.K.'s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and the Italian Navy all plan to operate the F-35B.