The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $100.5 million contract to supply an undisclosed amount of Paveway II Plus laser guidance kits for 500-pound bombs. These GBU-12 kits are part of an overall $475 million, five-year, firm-fixed price, multiple-award contract announced on Aug. 1. They are designed to offer improved impact-point accuracy compared to previous Paveway versions, helping to reduce risks to US and allied ground forces as a result, according to a company release. “The Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus LGB raises the bar in performance for Paveway II accuracy and precision,” said Joe Serra, the company’s senior manager for precision guided systems. “This contract is a testament to our commitment to continuous product improvement, combined with our ability to deliver a better performing product to our customer at the lowest cost.”
U.S. Air Force F-35s and F-22s regularly deploy deep into the Pacific region from Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii. In the future, though, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would like to see the Air Force permanently station fifth-generation aircraft west of the international date line—closer to China.