Pave Knife
Encyclopedia
The Ford Aerospace
AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife was an early targeting pod developed by the USAF to designate and guide laser-guided bomb
s.
Pave Knife was developed in 1969
to replace the original, essentially improvised Airborne Laser Designator (ALD). ALD was not a pod, but a hand-held laser operated by the weapon systems officer to mark targets for Paveway laser-guided bombs. Pave Knife was a roughly banana-shaped external pod, weighing about 550 kg (1,200 lb), containing a steerable laser
and closed-circuit television camera
. The Weapon Systems Officer
or bombardier/navigator (BN) monitored the TV image with a small Sony
TV in the cockpit and steered the laser onto the target with a hand controller, then passing the target information to the aircraft's gun sight.
When Pave Knife was sent out for bid by the Air Force, it was for a firm fixed price type of contract, it involved design, development, and manufacture of one prototype, and also a quick reaction project. Quick reaction meant it was considered of a vital nature for the Vietnam War effort. This meant it was a high risk project for the successful bidder.
Ford Aerospace was known at that time as Philco-Ford, Aeronutronics Division, in Newport Beach, California. This facility was recognized for its strong engineering skills in electo-optics and image stabilization (for example, the gunsight on an airborne helicopter vibrates wildly, but with stabilization, the target appears as if the helicopter were on the ground). This facility was at the time in production on the optical heat seeking (guidance) portion of the AIM missile.
The Project Manager convinced the company to invest (while the bids were being reviewed by the USAF) in creating the specifications for the subcontracts, selecting the subcontractors, preparing contract verbiage, and setting it up to be able to turn on all the engineering and procurement on the day after the winner of the bidding was announced. The remainder of the design, prototype fabrication, and system integration was completed within budget, and on-time with delivery accomplished in an astonishing 6 months from the contract award date.
The key subcontractors were Dalmo Victor in the San Francisco Bay peninsula who provided the night vision system. Another contractor provided a very complex power supply with multiple outputs to operate numerous system components, which had to be squeezed into a semi-oval shape to fit against the inner shape of the pod, with protrusions on the power supply to fit into whatever space was left after other components were designed in. Yet another provided the laser designator.
All the subcontractors met their specifications, price, and delivery dates. When the pod was shipped to Florida for testing at a base, the system met specifications. It immediately entered testing and performed so well that within a few weeks, it was shipped to Vietnam and placed into service where it met objectives.
The system used various technologies including image stabilization, night vision, target designation with a laser, and optical tracking to stay with moving ground targets. It had to withstand high G forces, very cold temperatures, and as well, high temperatures. A second jet with a laser guided bomb using a guidance system provided by Texas Instrument would operate as a team with the first jet and drop the munitions.
Certainly this was the predecessor to the videos from the first Gulf War (roughly 20 years later) which were shown on TV to the public, which showed missiles headed for the windows on a building. Hitting a moving target is technically much more difficult.
Pave Knife was used by F-4 Phantom II
and A-6 Intruder
aircraft in the attack role. It was used operationally in the Vietnam War
; while it had its limitations, it validated the combat utility of laser-guided bombs. The Pave Knife was superseded by the later Pave Spike
and Pave Tack
systems, and is no longer in service.
Ford Aerospace
Ford Aerospace & Communications Corp. was the aerospace and defense business of Ford Motor Company. It consisted of the Space Systems Division and the Western Development Labs .Partial company timeline:*1956 Aeronutronic becomes Ford Motor Company division.*1961 Ford Motor Company...
AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife was an early targeting pod developed by the USAF to designate and guide laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s.
Pave Knife was developed in 1969
1969 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1969:- Events :* The Canadian Snowbirds aerobatic team is formed.* A fifth annual Harmon Trophy is created to honor the worlds outstanding astronaut of the year and is awarded for the first time, honoring the outstanding astronauts of 1968.-January:*...
to replace the original, essentially improvised Airborne Laser Designator (ALD). ALD was not a pod, but a hand-held laser operated by the weapon systems officer to mark targets for Paveway laser-guided bombs. Pave Knife was a roughly banana-shaped external pod, weighing about 550 kg (1,200 lb), containing a steerable laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
and closed-circuit television camera
Closed-circuit television camera
Closed-circuit television cameras can produce images or recordings for surveillance purposes, and can be either video cameras, or digital stills cameras...
. The Weapon Systems Officer
Weapon systems officer
A Weapon Systems Officer is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the fighter in the United States Navy. A Weapon Systems Officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the...
or bombardier/navigator (BN) monitored the TV image with a small Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
TV in the cockpit and steered the laser onto the target with a hand controller, then passing the target information to the aircraft's gun sight.
When Pave Knife was sent out for bid by the Air Force, it was for a firm fixed price type of contract, it involved design, development, and manufacture of one prototype, and also a quick reaction project. Quick reaction meant it was considered of a vital nature for the Vietnam War effort. This meant it was a high risk project for the successful bidder.
Ford Aerospace was known at that time as Philco-Ford, Aeronutronics Division, in Newport Beach, California. This facility was recognized for its strong engineering skills in electo-optics and image stabilization (for example, the gunsight on an airborne helicopter vibrates wildly, but with stabilization, the target appears as if the helicopter were on the ground). This facility was at the time in production on the optical heat seeking (guidance) portion of the AIM missile.
The Project Manager convinced the company to invest (while the bids were being reviewed by the USAF) in creating the specifications for the subcontracts, selecting the subcontractors, preparing contract verbiage, and setting it up to be able to turn on all the engineering and procurement on the day after the winner of the bidding was announced. The remainder of the design, prototype fabrication, and system integration was completed within budget, and on-time with delivery accomplished in an astonishing 6 months from the contract award date.
The key subcontractors were Dalmo Victor in the San Francisco Bay peninsula who provided the night vision system. Another contractor provided a very complex power supply with multiple outputs to operate numerous system components, which had to be squeezed into a semi-oval shape to fit against the inner shape of the pod, with protrusions on the power supply to fit into whatever space was left after other components were designed in. Yet another provided the laser designator.
All the subcontractors met their specifications, price, and delivery dates. When the pod was shipped to Florida for testing at a base, the system met specifications. It immediately entered testing and performed so well that within a few weeks, it was shipped to Vietnam and placed into service where it met objectives.
The system used various technologies including image stabilization, night vision, target designation with a laser, and optical tracking to stay with moving ground targets. It had to withstand high G forces, very cold temperatures, and as well, high temperatures. A second jet with a laser guided bomb using a guidance system provided by Texas Instrument would operate as a team with the first jet and drop the munitions.
Certainly this was the predecessor to the videos from the first Gulf War (roughly 20 years later) which were shown on TV to the public, which showed missiles headed for the windows on a building. Hitting a moving target is technically much more difficult.
Pave Knife was used by F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
and A-6 Intruder
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
aircraft in the attack role. It was used operationally in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
; while it had its limitations, it validated the combat utility of laser-guided bombs. The Pave Knife was superseded by the later Pave Spike
Pave Spike
The Westinghouse AN/ASQ-153\AN/AVQ-23 Pave Spike is an electro-optical laser designator pod used to direct laser-guided bombs to target in daylight, visual conditions...
and Pave Tack
Pave Tack
The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force for military attack aircraft. It uses a laser and a forward-looking infrared to find and designate targets for laser-guided bombs and other precision-guided weapons...
systems, and is no longer in service.