Raytheon Paveway IV Enters Service on UK Harrier GR9 Aircraft

(Harlow, England, December 10, 2008) -- Raytheon Company's Paveway IV weapon system completed all evaluation activities, clearing it to enter service with the U.K.'s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 aircraft.

Following the demonstration of capability trials at the U.S. Navy's Air Warfare Center China Lake, Calif., the U.K. Ministry of Defence accepted the weapon system into operational service.


"This is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the team ethos and trust forged between all stakeholders," said John Michel, Raytheon Systems Limited acting director of Precision Systems. "Paveway IV provides the U.K. MoD with a world-class strike capability, advanced flexibility and significantly improved safety characteristics. Raytheon is proud to have delivered this system to the U.K. Armed Forces in support of current operational requirements."

U.K. MoD Freefall Integrated Project Team Leader Captain Howard Holdsworth, Royal Navy, said: "Paveway IV will provide those at the front line with a hugely flexible and very welcome capability. This is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of the stakeholder community, both in the MoD and Industry. We can be justifiably proud of our achievements; Paveway IV is a very capable weapon system indeed."

Source : Raytheon