Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) reached a significant program milestone by delivering its 100,000thPaveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) in support of enhancing U.S. and allies’ munitions worldwide.
“Our high capacity production facility and streamlined manufacturing processes enable us to deliver the most cost-effective Paveway II Plus LGB guidance kits to meet the growing demand of global customers,” said Joe Serra, precision guided systems director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Sixteen nations and the U.S. Air Force now use our combat-proven LGB kits as a critical component of their defense strategy.”
A qualified supplier of Paveway II LGB kits since 2001, Lockheed Martin continues to expand its production capabilities to improve efficiency, and, as a result, has driven down average unit prices by 45 percent. In the last eight annual competitions, the U.S. Air Force and its foreign military sale partners have selected Lockheed Martin to provide the majority of their LGB kits.
Paveway II Plus includes an enhanced guidance package that improves accuracy over legacy LGBs. Qualified for full and unrestricted operational employment in GBU-10, -12 and -16 (2,000-lb./500-lb./1,000-lb.) configurations, Paveway II Plus is cleared for use on U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and international aircraft authorized to carry and release LGBs.
In addition to the Paveway II Plus LGB, Lockheed Martin’s 350,000-square-foot production facility in Archbald, Pennsylvania, is the sole provider of the Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round and Paragon™ direct-attack munition. Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 160,000 training rounds and 7,000 dual-mode LGB kits to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and 23 international customers. Approximately 175 employees at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando, Florida, and Archbald, Pa., Missiles and Fire Control facilities support the Precision Guided Systems programs.
Lockheed Martin release
