BAE Systems’ APKWS® laser-guidance kits successfully tested by U.S. counter-drone office
March 28 2023 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Effective counter-UAS test strikes pave the way for
international fielding
The Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO)
has successfully tested BAE Systems’ APKWS® laser-guidance kits in
a counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) mission. The testing
against Class-2 UAS paves the way for fielding of the
precision-guided rockets to partner nations around the globe.
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APKWS® laser-guidance kits have been
successfully tested against drones. (Credit: BAE Systems)
APKWS transforms unguided rockets into smart munitions for
precision strikes on soft and lightly armored targets. A newly
developed proximity fuze for the standard M151 warhead allows the
laser-guidance kits to target Class 2 and Class 3 drones, which
typically weigh less than 55 pounds. The fuze retains the legacy
point denotation capability for maximum flexibility of the weapon
in the field. APKWS now enables rockets to engage and destroy
drones at a fraction of the cost of existing C-UAS systems with
unprecedented precision.
During the Department of Defense-led exercise at Yuma Proving
Ground, Arizona, the 70 mm APKWS-guided rockets demonstrated 100
percent effectiveness when fired against 25 to 50 pound drones
traveling at more 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,”
said Aimee D’Onofrio, a 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 produced at BAE Systems’
state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hudson, New Hampshire.
The kits are available to all U.S. armed forces, as well as allies
via Foreign Military Sales.
For more information about APKWS guidance kits, visit:
www.baesystems.com/apkws.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230328005337/en/
Shelley Walcott, BAE Systems Mobile: 603-508-9107
shelley.walcott@baesystems.com
www.baesystems.com/US @BAESystemsInc
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