GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II

The Paveway program originated in 1964 as a project to develop precision-guided munitions, with initial testing commencing in 1965. The United States Air Force formalized the engineering effort under Project 3169 in 1967. The Paveway II generation entered development in the early 1970s, introducing a simplified seeker and pop-out rear wings to improve glide performance. The GBU-49 is the United States designation for the Paveway IV, which entered service in 2008 with the Royal Air Force, and serves as a dual-mode evolution of the laser-only GBU-12.

The GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II utilizes a dual-mode guidance package that integrates semi-active laser (SAL) seeking with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) technology. This combination enables engagement of targets in all-weather conditions and provides a capability against moving targets. The system employs a semi-active laser seeker to detect reflected laser energy, which then actuates front control canards to guide the munition toward the designated point. The guidance system uses a "bang-bang" control method, where the pneumatic control augmentation system commands canard deflections for course corrections. The weapon is equipped with the BLU-133 warhead.

The GBU-49 is operated by the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2017, the F-35 program office accelerated the deployment of the GBU-49 to establish a moving-target strike capability and to address the gap created by the retirement of the CBU-103 cluster bomb. The munition is integrated onto the F-35 Lightning II and is compatible with various other fixed-wing strike platforms.