UK may transfer Paveway IV bombs to Ukraine: details

Defense Express reports.

The UK is said to be supplying Ukraine with Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, according to widespread online speculation. The BBC is frequently cited as the source, but this is not the case.

Jonathan Beale, a correspondent for this publication, wrote about this on his own social media:

According to his information, these bombs were included in the latest UK aid package, which was released on April 23 and totaled a record-breaking GBP 500 million (about $617 million). However, the officially published list and description of the transferred weapons made no mention of Paveway IV or any explosives at all. The closest thing to a bomb were the 1,600 attack and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as the Storm Shadow cruise missile.

The Ukrainian Air Force's requirement for these aerial bombs is likewise debatable. The Paveway IV, like the JDAM, is a kit that is put to a conventional bomb and converted into a precision-guided weapon. Paveway IV is fitted on a Mark 82 bomb weighing 531 pounds (241 kg). This kit uses satellite and semi-active laser guidance and is capable of both contact and delayed detonation, as well as aerial explosion.

Paveway IV is a creation of the British Raytheon division, which beat JDAM to the British Defense Ministry's order and went into service in 2008. This bomb is exclusively in service in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

The Paveway IV is integrated into the Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35, although it is unlikely that its integration with any other Western fighter jet will cause any difficulties.

At the same time, the key distinction between Paveway IV and the US JDAM-ER and French AASM Hammer is that it is not a long-range aerial munition; like any free-fall bomb, it can only be deployed at close range to hit a target "below" it.

That is why the transfer of Paveway IV appears to be somewhat contentious when compared to its original version. However, if we consider the option of modifying them, such as adding a rocket booster like the AASM Hammer or wings like the JDAM-ER, then they may have a real-world application for aircraft.

After all, the British are unlikely to transport anything that cannot be used on the battlefield. Furthermore, they have always displayed pragmatic steps, such as developing existing means from current resources. For example, SAMs equipped with AIM-132 ASRAAM missiles, or the usage of Brimstone, first from ersatz launchers and subsequently from the hastily developed Wolfram.