8-For-8 Performance Shows Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System
Will Meet Combat Needs
Aviators from the U.S. Marine Corps have completed their
operational assessment of BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision
Kill Weapon System, scoring eight direct hits in eight shots in the
past two weeks. Operational assessment gives Marine aviators the
opportunity to “test drive” the system before it is
deployed and confirms that the laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket will
meet their needs in combat.
APKWS Just Before Impact
APKWS, developed by BAE Systems in partnership with the U.S.
government, provides aviators with a highly precise weapon that is
effective against soft and lightly armored targets while minimizing
collateral damage — important in urban areas and other
situations in which non-combatants or friendly forces are near
hostile targets.
In a series of shots fired during the weeks of January 11 and
18, Marine AH-1W Cobra helicopters flying a variety of scenarios
fired laser-guided APKWS rockets at targets typical of those
encountered in theater. Live warheads were fitted to the APKWS
guidance section, and in day and night tests, the guided rockets
struck their laser-designated targets and detonated on impact.
“The APKWS operational assessment has demonstrated the
system’s effectiveness in a variety of scenarios involving
various targets, platform speeds, ranges, and tactics,” said
Maj. Matt Sale, requirements officer for Marine Corps Aviation
Weapons. “The system’s reliability has been proven with
its 19-for-19 performance in tests, exceeding requirements and
expectations. We are confident that APKWS is the right-size weapon
for many of our typical engagements and will be highly effective in
allowing Marine aviators to prosecute targets.”
The final step in the APKWS development program is system
qualification against the envelope of environments in which it
might be employed, transported, and stored. That testing is
expected to be finalized in time to allow the Navy to complete a
production decision within the next 60 days. From there, the system
is expected to enter low-rate initial production.
“Any time I have the opportunity to talk to our men and
women in uniform, I hear about the pressing need for the capability
afforded by APKWS,” said John Watkins, director of missiles
and munitions for BAE Systems in Nashua, New Hampshire. “This
weapon will make a real difference in allowing U.S. warfighters to
complete their missions and come home safely.”
BAE says APKWS provides the military with a low-cost alternative
to other air-launched munitions currently in inventory. The system
transforms a standard 2.75-inch unguided rocket into a smart,
highly precise laser-guided missile. Because it uses standard
launchers, APKWS requires no platform integration or aircraft
modifications, and because it is loaded and fired like a standard
2.75-inch rocket, it requires little additional aviator or ordnance
crew training. The mid-body design of its guidance section enables
use of existing warheads, fuzes, and rocket motors, enhancing the
capability of existing inventory.