BAE Systems‘ APKWS® laser-guidance kits were successfully tested by the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) in a counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) mission, specifically targeting Class-2 UAS. This successful testing has paved the way for the fielding of precision-guided rockets to partner nations globally.
APKWS will transform unguided rockets into smart munitions for precision strikes on soft and lightly armored targets. The newly developed proximity fuse for standard M151 warhead allows the laser-guided kits to target Class 2 and Class 3 drones. The fuse retains legacy point denotation capability for maximum flexibility of the weapon field. APKWS enables rockets to engage and destroy drones. This comes at a fraction of the cost of existing C-UAS systems with unprecedented precision.
During the exercise led by the Department of Defense, the 70 mm APKWS-guided rockets exhibited 100 percent effectiveness when fired against 25-50 pound drones traveling faster than 100 miles an hour. The APKWS C-UAS solution is platform agnostic, permitting multiple options to accelerate fielding.
“Our engineers’ passion for APKWS technology led to the development of this new product designed to meet drones head-on,” says Aimee D’Onofrio, director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “This is a solution that comes at a remarkably affordable price point, and with APKWS already at full-rate production, we can ramp up to 25,000 units per year to make an immediate impact.”
APKWS laser-guidance kits are being produced at BAE Systems in Hudson, New Hampshire. The kits are available to U.S. Armed Forces, along with allies through Foreign Military Sales.
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