Lockheed Martin reported two successful recent flight tests of an upgraded precision-guided bomb that it has named “Dual Mode Plus.” The two 500-pound weapons (with inert warheads) were launched from a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flying on the China Lake range.

The upgrade includes the linear optics and a new control actuation system, which the company previously introduced as its Paveway II Plus single-mode (eg. laser) guidance product, on a weapon that is also guided by GPS/INS.

“This combination offers a precise and affordable direct attack weapon to the U.S. and its allies,” said Joe Serra, precision guided systems director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The company said that Dual Mode Plus is effective against fixed, relocatable and moving targets in allweather conditions at extended stand-off ranges.

Lockheed Martin (LM) competes with Raytheon for U.S. and export contracts to supply precision-guidance kits for bombs. In recent years, LM has claimed the majority share of such contracts. The current U.S. contract being worked at the company's Archbald, Penn. factory is worth $76 million. With U.S. air forces heavily engaged in airstrikes over Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and now Libya, more such contracts are likely to be placed.

Both LM and Raytheon supply single-mode laser-guidance kits for all three Paveway II bombs: the GBU-10 for the 2,000-pound Mk82, the GBU-12 for the 500-pound Mk82 and the GBU-16 for the 1,000-pound Mk83. But LM claims to be the sole provider of the Enhanced Laser-Guided Training Round, and of dual-mode kits. LM said that it had now delivered to the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and 23 international customers, more than 150,000 training rounds, more than 75,000 Paveway II laser-guided kits, and 7,000 dual-mode kits.

However, although LM has been sole supplier of dual-mode kits under Pentagon contracts since winning a U.S. competition in 2005, Raytheon’s UK subsidiary subsequently produced the dual mode Paveway IV 500-pound weapon for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado and Typhoon fleet, with assistance from Raytheon Missile Systems in the U.S. This weapon has subsequently gained export contracts and is being integrated on the UK’s forthcoming F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter fleet. Raytheon UK has proposed various improvements to the Paveway IV, including range-extending wings, moving target seeker, alternative warheads and fuzing, and GPS anti-jam provision.

According to the terms of a legal settlement between the two companies in 2014, Raytheon was confirmed as owner of the “Paveway” trademark, but agreed to license its use to LM to describe single-mode (eg. laser) guidance kits. This is presumably why LM is not adding the “Paveway” name to its new “Dual-Mode Plus” development.