Overview
- BAE Systems, which announced the trial Wednesday, fired an APKWS-guided 70 mm rocket from an RAF Typhoon and hit a ground target at a UK range.
- BAE says the RAF-supported event at Warton will inform how a low-cost precision weapon can be integrated on the fighter for counter-drone missions.
- BAE plans air-to-air trials next, with timelines undisclosed after an internally funded first test.
- The APKWS kit turns unguided 70 mm rockets into laser-guided rounds that cost far less than missiles and can be loaded in pods to boost shots per sortie.
- U.S. forces used APKWS from fighters against drones and ordered thousands last year, a precedent that could shape future decisions by the UK and other Typhoon operators.