Overview
- The Ministry of Defence disclosed Saturday that APKWS is now operational on RAF Typhoon FGR4s flown by 9 Squadron from RAF Akrotiri during Middle East missions.
- APKWS adds a laser-guidance section to 70mm Hydra rockets, creating precision rounds reported at about $20,000–$24,000 each that undercut the cost of firing air-to-air missiles at cheap drones.
- The system advanced from a March ground hit at the MOD Aberporth range to April air-to-air firings by 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron, then entered service in under two months with BAE Systems and QinetiQ support.
- Multiple guided rockets fit in each pod, which increases a Typhoon’s available shots and better suits small, slow UAS that do not warrant expending high-end interceptors.
- Officials frame the move as one piece of a wider Gulf defence effort that includes a Skyhammer interceptor purchase, a £650 million Typhoon upgrade, and deployed UK systems such as Sky Sabre, the Lightweight Multirole Missile, Rapid Sentry, and ORCUS.