Marines Stock Up on Precision Rockets

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Marines Stock Up on Precision Rockets

11/1/2012
By Eric Beidel

The Navy has authorized full-rate production for a laser-guided rocket system that is intended to fill the gap between the Hellfire missile and unguided rockets.

BAE Systems’ advanced precision kill weapon system, or APKWS, has been used in combat several times since its deployment in March, said John Watkins, director of precision guidance solutions for BAE Systems.

The weapon is the result of adding a mid-body guidance unit to the Hyrda 70 unguided rocket. The system is designed for troops to engage targets in areas where the threat of non-combat injuries and collateral damage has prevented them from doing so, officials said.

The APKWS is lighter and less expensive than the military’s existing inventory of forward-firing laser-guided precision munitions and can be used faster, they said. The weapon can be fired from any helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft that also can handle Hydra 70 rockets. BAE Systems is working with the government to expand its use to other platforms such as the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout and the armed MH-60S.

The weapon was shot for the first time in March from AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters supporting Marines on the ground in Afghanistan. In September, BAE Systems delivered the 925th initial production system to the Navy.

Photo Credit: BAE Systems

Topics: Armaments, Gun and Missile, Missile Defense

Comments (0)

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Please enter the text displayed in the image.

Characters *

Legal Notice *

NDIA is not responsible for screening, policing, editing, or monitoring your or another user's postings and encourages all of its users to use reasonable discretion and caution in evaluating or reviewing any posting. Moreover, and except as provided below with respect to NDIA's right and ability to delete or remove a posting (or any part thereof), NDIA does not endorse, oppose, or edit any opinion or information provided by you or another user and does not make any representation with respect to, nor does it endorse the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other material displayed, uploaded, or distributed by you or any other user. Nevertheless, NDIA reserves the right to delete or take other action with respect to postings (or parts thereof) that NDIA believes in good faith violate this Legal Notice and/or are potentially harmful or unlawful. If you violate this Legal Notice, NDIA may, in its sole discretion, delete the unacceptable content from your posting, remove or delete the posting in its entirety, issue you a warning, and/or terminate your use of the NDIA site. Moreover, it is a policy of NDIA to take appropriate actions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable intellectual property laws. If you become aware of postings that violate these rules regarding acceptable behavior or content, you may contact NDIA at 703.522.1820.

I have read the legal notice.

Marines Stock Up on Precision Rockets

Related Articles

U.S., China in Race to Develop Hypersonic Weapons

Analyst: Use of Conventional Global Strike Weapons Not Likely to Spark Nuclear War

THAAD Sale Highlights Demand For Missile Defense Capabilities

Comments (0)