UK debuts 'bunker buster' bombs against the Islamic State

[Zarvan]

The size of the Enhanced Paveway III PGM can be seen in this Tornado trials photo. The 2,000 lb 'bunker buster' was used for the first time against the Islamic State on 21 April. Source: Raytheon
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has used the largest bomb in its inventory for the first time against the Islamic State, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in its latest operational update released on 26 April.

On 21 April, Panavia Tornado GR4 combat aircraft operating out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus dropped a pair of the 'bunker buster' 2,000 lb Enhanced Paveway III (EPW III) precision-guided munitions (PGMs) onto Islamic State facilities in Iraq, hitting the targets.

"The Tornados flew as part of a coalition airstrike on a large complex of tunnels and bunkers dug into terraced hillsides above the Euphrates in western Iraq, successfully scoring direct hits with a pair of EPW IIIs on two entrances to the bunker network," the MoD said.

The EPW III is designed for use against aircraft shelters, bridges, and military command centres in all weather conditions, and was borne out of lessons learned during the Kosovo campaign in 1999 when standard Paveway II and III PGMs were severely hampered by bad weather, and also by smoke around targets and on the battlefield. The Enhanced Paveway III was cleared for RAF service in 2002, with about 2,000 bombs believed to have been delivered to the MoD.

As noted by IHS Jane's Air Launched Weapons , the standard tactics are to release an EPW III using GPS/INS guidance initially, and to then use the laser to refine the impact point. The bombs can also accept third-party designation. The weapon has the ability to home in on its last recorded target point, if the laser lock should be lost for any reason in the terminal phase. It can also revert to the stored GPS co-ordinates unless it is within three seconds of impact.

Before the current operations against the Islamic State commenced in September 2014, the UK had plans to phase the EPW III out of service by the end of 2017 in favour of the 500 lb Paveway IV as the RAF's sole PGM.

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