GBU-24 Paveway III or simply GBU-24 is a family of laser-guided bombs, a sub-group of the larger Raytheon Paveway III family of weapons. The Paveway guidance package consists of a seeker package attached to the nose of the weapon, and a wing kit attached to the rear to provide stability and greater range.

The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) Low Level Laser Guided Bomb [LLLGB] consists of either a 2,000-pound MK-84 general purpose or BLU-109 penetrator bomb modified with a Paveway III low-level laser-guided bomb kit to add the proportional guidance in place of the bang-bang type used in the Paveway II.

The primary difference from the GBU-24/B is that the GBU-27/B uses a Paveway II -type airfoil group, and slightly more compact suspension logs. All GBU-27/B series weapons use penetrating warheads, either the BLU-109/B or the BLU-116/B.

Paveway III is a laser guided free-fall bomb for use against surface targets from medium standoff range. The third-generation laser guided seeker/tail kit package enables greater precision over Paveway II, and its high-lift airframe enables longer glide slopes for greater standoff employment.

The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) is a laser guided bomb used to destroy hardened targets. It consists of the nose-mounted laser guidance unit and the Paveway III tail assembly fitted to a 2,000-pound BLU-109 bomb with its special steel casing.

GBU-24 Paveway III or simply GBU-24 is a family of laser-guided bombs, a sub-group of the larger Raytheon Paveway III family of weapons. The Paveway guidance package consists of a seeker package attached to the nose of the weapon, and a wing kit attached to the rear to provide stability and greater range.

I photographed these Raytheon GBU-24 Paveway III 2000lb low-level Laser Guided Bomb examples at the NMoUSAF, Eglin AFB and Pima.

The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) Low Level Laser Guided Bomb [LLLGB] consists of either a 2,000- pound MK-84 general purpose or BLU-109 penetrator bomb modified with a Paveway III low-level laser- guided bomb kit to add the proportional guidance in place of the bang-bang type used in the Paveway II.

The GBU-24/B, GBU-24A/B, and GBU-24B/B are air-to-surface bombs with a low- level laser guidance system. Target illumination is achieved by a laser illumination device which may be ground mounted or may be carried in a target spotting aircraft.

The result is a weapon of far greater operational flexibility than its predecessors. The variants with the 2,000 lb Mk 84 bomb and BLU-109/B Improved 2,000 lb Warhead as their payloads, have the service designations GBU-24/A 'Paveway III' and GBU-24/B 'Paveway III' respectively.