The AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a design conversion of

Hydra 70 The Hydra 70 rocket (weapon), rocket is an American made diameter fin-stabilized unguided rocket used primarily in the air-to-ground role. It can be equipped with a variety of warheads, and in more recent versions, guidance systems for point att ...

unguided rocket In military terminology, a rocket is a self-propelled, unguided or guided, weapon-system powered by a rocket engine. Though used primarily as medium- and long-range artillery systems, historically rockets have also seen considerable use as air-t ...

s with a

laser guidance Laser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key ide ...

kit to turn them into

precision-guided munition A precision-guided munition (PGM), also called a smart weapon, smart munition, or smart bomb, is a type of weapon system that integrates advanced guidance and control systems, such as Global Positioning System, GPS, laser guidance, or Infrared ...

s (PGMs). APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding

collateral damage "Collateral damage" is a term for any incidental and undesired death, injury or other damage inflicted, especially on civilians, as the result of an activity. Originally coined to describe military operations, it is now also used in non-milit ...

, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

Development

Where possible the system utilizes existing Hydra 70 components such as launchers,

rocket motor A rocket engine is a reaction engine, producing thrust in accordance with Newton's third law by ejecting reaction mass rearward, usually a high-speed jet of high-temperature gas produced by the combustion of rocket propellants stored inside t ...

warhead A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket (weapon), rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: *E ...

s and

fuze In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates its function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fu ...

s. The weapon bridges the gap between the Hydra 70 and

AGM-114 Hellfire The AGM-114 Hellfire is an American missile developed for anti-armor use, later developed for precision drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. It was originally developed under the name " Heliborne laser, fi ...

systems and provides a cost-effective method of engaging lightly armored point targets. APKWS is the U.S. government's only

Program of Record In the United States, the processes of government procurement enable federal, state and local government bodies in the country to acquire goods, services (including construction), and interests in real property. Contracting with the federal gove ...

for the semi-active, laser-guided rocket. It converts the Hydra 70 unguided rocket into a precision guided munition through the addition of a mid-body guidance unit developed by

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

. The APKWS has also been successfully tested in live fire exercises with the Forges de Zeebrugge unguided rocket, converting it into a precision guided munition and demonstrating the technology can be used on other rocket types than the Hydra 70.

Design

The winning bidder for the APKWS contract was the team of BAE Systems,

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense company. With 97,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $40 billion, it is one of the world's largest Arms industry ...

and

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales and fifth largest in the Unit ...

, beating the offerings from

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

and Raytheon Systems. The APKWS uses the Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) technology. This system allows a laser seeker to be located in the leading edge of each of the forward control canards, working in unison as if they were a single seeker. This configuration allows existing warheads from the Hydra 70 system to be used without the need for a laser seeker in the missile nose. The APKWS system is composed of the launch platform, rockets equipped with the WGU-59/B mid-body guidance unit, the lengthened 7-tube LAU-68 F/A rocket launcher, the SCS 7 aiming cue (not needed for attack helicopters), and Fastpack PA-140 and CNU-711/E storage kits for rockets and guidance kits, respectively, to ensure they are safe in the field. The WGU-59/B mid-body guidance unit is equipped with DASALS seeker optics which deploy 0.5 seconds after launch. They are attached in between the Mk 66 Mod 4 rocket motor and a warhead and fuze, which increases length by and weight by over the legacy Hydra system. The firing range is 1,100–5,000 meters; at the minimum range, the target can be struck than 5 seconds after launch.Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) Goes to War
- Defensemedianetwork.com, 9 July 2012 Maximum range is constrained by use of the existing Hydra 70 motor, but since the seeker can see as far as , a more powerful motor could extend range while retaining accuracy.

Nammo Nammo, short for Nordic Ammunition Company, is a Norwegian- Finnish aerospace and defence group specialized in production of ammunition, rocket engines and space applications. The company has subsidiaries in Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Sw ...

is working on a modified rocket motor that can extend range to . A software upgrade of the APKWS will be applied starting in late 2021; the upgrade increases range by 30% by means of an optimized flight trajectory to engage targets at a steeper angle of attack, while also being qualified on both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in a single variant and improving the surface danger zone logic for better training range options. In June 2021, BAE successfully tested the APKWS in a counter- unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) role. An APKWS-equipped rocket was fitted with a

proximity fuze A Proximity Fuse (also VT fuse or "variable time fuze") is a fuse that detonates an explosive device automatically when it approaches within a certain distance of its target. Proximity fuses are designed for elusive military targets such as air ...

and destroyed a Class 2 UAS. The proximity fuze enables it to intercept UAS at a lower cost than other methods, and due to the rocket's laser guidance that activates on launch it does not require locking on to the target before launch. In April 2025, a new dual-mode APKWS II variant with a full-scale mockup was revealed, featuring a passive infrared sensor as well as the original's laser-guidance, allowing the weapon to be fired with "anoint-and-shoot" capability (where the target is initially lased to orient the missile, but the lase is not maintained and the infrared sensor takes over for terminal guidance) to increase rate of fire, particularly against large numbers of cruise missile or unmanned aerial vehicle targets. The addition of the nose-mounted infrared seeker necessitated moving the warhead to the mid-body of the rocket, which provides an improved blast- fragmentation pattern with no loss of lethality; however modifications increase the cost compared to the original. Development is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Specifications

* Length: * Diameter: 2.75 in (70 mm)Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System
- NAVAIR.Navy.mil * Wingspan: * Weight: * Speed: at max * Range: (rotary wing); (fixed wing) * Guidance: Semi-active laser homing * CEP: <0.5 meters * Motor: Existing Hydra 70 motors * Warhead: Existing Hydra 70 warhead

Program status

* 2002: APKWS development test series begins. * April 2005: General Dynamics APKWS program cancelled due to poor test results.Air-Launched 2.75-Inch Rockets - Designation Systems
/ref> * September 2005: Successful flight test of BAE APKWS II. * October 2005: Competition reopened as APKWS II. * April 2006: BAE Systems selected as prime contractor for the APKWS II program. * February 2007: Funding for program withdrawn in proposed FY2008 budget. * May 2007: Successful flight test of BAE APKWS II in production-ready configuration. * November 2008: Transfer of contract from US Army to US Navy.

Deployment

* March 2012: APKWS II achieves initial operating capability (IOC) and is sent to Afghanistan with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. Plans are to integrate it onto the MQ-8 Fire Scout.Marine helicopters deploy with laser-guided rocket
- NAVAIR.Navy.mil, 17 April 2012 * July 2012: BAE Systems receives full-rate production contract for APKWS from the U.S. Navy. The first FRP deliveries were in October 2012 and the company expected the next FRP option to be awarded by the end of 2012. * September 2012: The Navy awards a contract to officially integrate the APKWS into the Fire Scout. * October 2012: BAE announces its intention to modify the APKWS II to be fired from fixed-wing tactical fighter platforms. * January 2013: Additional conversion kits ordered. No in flight failures during the 100 combat launches in Afghanistan to date. * February 2013: APKWS launched from an

A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twinjet, twin-turbofan, straight wing, straight-wing, Subsonic aircraft, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Republic ...

. Three sorties were conducted. The first sortie carried the rocket and launcher, and the second sortie fired an inert, unguided rocket to ensure the weapon would separate from the aircraft. Two armed rockets were fired during the third sortie from 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The second rocket launched into a 70 knot headwind, and both impacted within inches of the target. The Air Force is considering using the APKWS II operationally by 2015 if further testing is successful. * March 2013: APKWS is integrated onto the Bell 407GT.BAE's APKWS rockets integrated on Bell's new Model 407GT
- Flightglobal.com, March 5, 2013 * April 2013: A UH-1Y Venom fired 10 APKWS rockets at stationary and moving small boat targets, scoring 100 percent accurate hits on single and multiple targets over water. The engagement ranged from 2–4 km using inert Mk152 high explosive and MK149 flechette warheads. The UH-1Y had the boats designated by an MH-60S. * October 2013: APKWS successfully fired from an

AH-64 Apache The Hughes/McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64 Apache ( ) is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help acquire targets and provide night vis ...

. Eight rockets were fired with the helicopter flying at up to and up to from the target. Launch altitudes ranged from 300 ft to 1,500 ft. BAE wants airworthiness qualification on the Apache for international sales to AH-64 operators. * March 2014: LAU-61 G/A Digital Rocket Launcher (DRL) deployed with HSC-15. * July 2014: BAE reveals that the APKWS has reached Early Operational Capability (EOC) with one squadron of MH-60S helicopters. The MH-60R will be outfitted within "12-18 months." * August 2014: APKWS tested on

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003. It is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter), which arose from the merger of Aérospatiale's and DASA's respective helico ...

Woomera Test Range The RAAF Woomera Range Complex (WRC) is a major Australian military and civil aerospace facility and operation located in South Australia, approximately north-west of Adelaide. The WRC is operated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a S ...

. A helicopter was on the ground and fired seven rockets which successfully hit their targets. The rocket could enter Australian service by early 2015 on army Tigers and navy MH-60R helicopters. * November 2014: APKWS tested on Australian Army, 16 Aviation Brigade, Eurocopter Tigers, this time airborne, near Darwin. Tests included using APKWS to convert a Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) unguided rocket into a laser precision-guided weapon. All 10 rockets struck within a metre of the laser spot. * October 2015: US Army AH-64 Apache helicopters to field weapon in Iraq and Afghanistan. * March 2016: First rocket variants for launch from fixed-wing aircraft shipped to Marine Corps Harriers. * June 2016: APKWS deployed on USAF F-16 and A-10 as part of an urgent operational requirement.APKWS deployed on USAF F-16
- Flightglobal.com, 9 June 2016 * October 2016: Production rate increased to 5,000 a year. * June 2016-January 2017: 200 APKWS used against

ISIL The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

targets, including 60 during the Battle of Mosul. * February 2018: First operational deployment of APKWS on Marine Corps legacy F/A-18 Hornets. * December 2019: US Air Force demonstrates air-to-air capability of AGR-20A to cue off Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod and intercept low-flying cruise missiles. In December 2019, the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, conducted a test using APKWS rocket against a drone representing a cruise missile. By adapting the rocket for cruise missile defense, it can serve the same role as the much more expensive AIM-120 missile, according to an Air Force release. "The test was unprecedented and will shape the future of how the Air Force executes CMD," Col. Ryan Messer, commander of the 53d Wing at Eglin, said in a release. "This is a prime example of how the 53d Wing is using resources readily available to establish innovative ways that enhance combat capabilities for our combat units." In June 2020, BAE announced they had completed test firings of the APKWS from a ground launcher for the first time. Several rockets were fired from an Arnold Defense-built launcher called the Fletcher designed specifically for ground vehicles, demonstrating the weapon's ability to address a demand for standoff ground-to-ground precision munitions for small ground units. In April 2024, the U.S. Navy ordered five Electronic Advanced Ground Launcher Systems (EAGLS) for rapid delivery in response to an urgent need to respond to UAS threats in the Middle East. EAGLS is a self-contained system consisting of a four-round APKWS launcher, a sensor turret with EO/IR cameras, and an RPS-40 radar.

Foreign users

* On 14 April 2014, the U.S. Navy signed an agreement with the Jordanian Air Force for the first international sale of the APKWS for use on the CN-235 gunship.Jordan Equips CN-235 Gunship with APKWS 2.75″ Guided Rockets
- Defense-Update.com, 1 May 2014 Jordan received 110 units in late November 2015. * In November 2014, the State Department approved the sale of up to 2,000 APKWS rockets to Iraq. * In June 2015, a deal to sell 6 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Lebanese Air Force was approved that included the sale of 2,000 APKWS rockets for use on the turboprops. The million sale was financed by Saudi Arabia. * In April 2018, the U.S. State Department approved the future sale of APKWS units to the

Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy () is one of the components of the Mexican Armed Forces. The Secretariat of the Navy is in charge of administration of the navy. The commander of the navy is the Secretary of the Navy, who is both a cabinet minister and a career ...

at the same time that they approved the sale of eight MH-60R helicopters. * Ukraine is being supplied with APKWS rockets following the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

. As part of an aid package announced by the U.S. in August 2022, the

L3Harris L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produces products for command and control systems, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics and electroni ...

Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment () system was ordered to be sent to Ukraine. The system consists of a sensor ball and a four-barreled APKWS rocket launcher that can be mounted on trucks. While it can direct laser-guided rockets on ground targets, the Pentagon specified it as a counter-UAS system. The company said the kit could be ready for delivery by May 2023.

was formally given a $40 million purchase order in January 2023. The award was part of a U.S. Navy prototype contract that pre-dated the war; field testing had begun in 2021 and after the system was submitted to the DOD in April 2022, range and durability tests were conducted in the summer. 14 kits would be installed on vehicles the U.S. provided Ukraine, with four systems to be delivered by mid-2023 and 10 more by the end of the year. Videos started appearing in May 2023 of Ukrainian-operated M1152 Humvees fitted with LGR4 four-shot launchers firing APKWS. In September, the Pentagon confirmed the first four VAMPIREs had arrived in Ukraine in mid-2023. All 14 systems were delivered by December 2023. On 25 January 2025, reports emerged of a boat-mounted Vampire missile equipped with APKWS successfully shooting down a Russian

Kh-59 The Kh-59 ''Ovod'' ( Овод 'Botfly, Gadfly'; AS-13 'Kingbolt') is a Russian cruise missile with a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system and 200 km range. The Kh-59M ''Ovod-M'' (AS-18 'Kazoo') is a variant with a bigger warhead and turbojet e ...

cruise missile over the Black Sea. * In April 2023, the US government approved a $31.1 million deal to provide the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

with up to 768 APKWS-IIs, which will equip Apache AH-64E attack helicopters of the British Army. * In July 2023, the Czech Republic started taking deliveries of Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters along with APKWS-II rockets. * In March 2025, the U.S. State Department approved the future sale of 2,000 APKWS units and spare sparts worth $100 million to the KSA.

Launch platforms

MH-60S from HSC 7 firing APKWS II during live fire qualification exercise 2015-08-18

* Current rotary wing: ** UH-1Y Venom ** AH-1W SuperCobra **

AH-1Z Viper The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family. It is oft ...

** Bell 407GT **

MV-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-use, tiltrotor military transport aircraft, military transport and cargo aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed ...

** MH-60S/R Seahawk * Current fixed-wing ** A-29 Super Tucano ** AV-8B Harrier II ** OV-10 Bronco **

F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, fighter and attack airc ...

** L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II **

F-15E Strike Eagle The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Intended for the Dual-Role Fighter (DRF) program (initially called Enhanced Tactical Fi ...

* Planned rotary wing ** OH-58 Kiowa (company funded) ** AH-6i * Planned fixed-wing ** CN-235 * Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) ** A portable kit that can be installed on most vehicles with a cargo bed for the launching of the APKWS II laser-guided rockets or other laser-guided munitions.

References

External links

APKWS - BAE

Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) - BAE Systems

Hydra-70 Rockets: From Cutbacks to the Future of Warfare - Defense Industry Daily

* ttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/apkws.htm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) - Global Security* {{US military rockets Air-to-surface missiles of the United States Military equipment introduced in the 2010s