Oct 27 2007
Lockheed Martin successfully completed the paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) First Article Test program and is now the only qualified source for delivery of DMLGB kits to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
The Navy Qualification Test Program, conducted from December 2006 through March 2007 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake Test Range, Calif., consisted of 25 DMLGBs released from AV-8B and F/A-18 aircraft. Various release conditions were executed and the terminal impact control was successfully demonstrated. The DMLGBs were released against both horizontal and vertical targets and consistently hit well within the Navy's required Circular Error Probability.
"I'm extremely pleased with the results of the DMLGB Qualification Program. The combined Lockheed-Martin/U.S. Navy team achieved another milestone in providing our Naval Warfighter with innovative and cost effective direct-attack capabilities," said Captain Mat Winter, NAVAIR PMA-201 Program Manager. "Our pilots have been well-trained using the Enhanced LGTRs and now they're ready for the real thing. DMLGB brings the tactical flexibility with proven precision effectiveness our warfighter so urgently needs. We're ready to send this phenomenal capability to our Fleet today."
Major Robert Fails, a VX-31 AV-8B pilot who participated in many of the qualification flight tests, was impressed with the capabilities of this weapon. "The weapon can be released from extended ranges without affecting the impact accuracy. Likewise, this weapon will give the pilot an option of weapon selectability not previously available," he said.
Lockheed Martin is currently under a $260 million contract to provide the U.S. Navy with DMLGB kits to add to their existing inventory. Production began in August 2007. Lockheed Martin is the sole-source provider of the DMLGB, an enhanced variant of the paveway family, whose flexibility of fire-and-forget capability and terminal guidance make it a cost-effective precision-guided weapon system.