The UK sends dual-mode Paveway IV guided bombs to Ukraine

The United Kingdom will provide Dual-Mode Paveway IV guided bombs to Ukraine to boost its military capabilities, but it is unclear which aircraft would use them. The British government said on Tuesday that it would provide its largest-ever tranche of military aid to Ukraine as part of a deal worth £500 million ($622 million). According to British media, the Kingdom is sending Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to Ukraine as part of its newest arms package. However, it is uncertain how they would be used, given the country now only has Soviet-era planes, the donated F-16 aeroplanes have not arrived, and pilot training has not been completed. The Paveway IV, the latest Paveway bomb series, converts unguided munitions, popularly known as "dumb bombs," into precision-guided weaponry. They can employ laser guidance or satellites to locate a target. Raytheon UK manufactures them. The Paveway IV was verified as part of the 1,600-munition package that was revealed by Ukraine's prime minister earlier this week. At this point, it is unclear how many bombs will be distributed or when they will arrive. This amount will also include additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles, though the exact breakdown is uncertain. The weapon's most notable feature is its dual-mode guidance package, which combines the Paveway series' standard laser seeker with a GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System. Ukraine is already employing GPS-guided JDAMs and their longer-range variants against Russia. Moscow has extensively used its own dumb bombs-turned-precision weapons to assault Ukrainian targets, launching them from beyond Ukraine's air defence range. This provides a high level of versatility. Earlier versions of the Paveway family of laser-guided bombs required the target to be laser-guided, either by a designator on the launching aircraft or a separate platform, or by ground forces; these forces must also be relatively close to the target (within line-of-sight) during delivery. The laser seeker also enables the munition to strike moving targets rather than static ones. In addition to these requirements, another disadvantage of a laser-guided weapon of this type is that its deployment can be slowed or completely prevented by bad weather or the employment of battlefield obscurants. Adding a GPS/INS function allows the Paveway IV to precisely target static targets in all weather conditions while using the original laser guidance mode when applicable.