BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems in the United States has won a fixed-price contract from the US Department of Defense, with indefinite delivery and quantity (IDIQ) for a value of 1.74 billion dollars, for the production and delivery of a maximum of 55,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II, Production Lots 13-17 at full rates.
The contract aims to support the upgrade of the current unguided 2.75-inch rocket into a semi-active laser-guided (SAL) precision weapon for the US Marine Corps (USMC), Army, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
The contract works will be performed in various locations in the US, Canada, and the UK, and will end in December 2031.
Features of the APKWS
The APKWS laser-guided rockets are the only program in the US for 70-millimeter or 2.75-inch rockets equipped with precision guidance kits.
All four US Armed Forces employ the APKWS rockets, which are also available for US allies via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels with corresponding training and logistical support.
The 15-kilogram SAL (Semi Active Laser) guided rocket has an effective range between 1,000 and 5,000 meters if launched from a helicopter, which becomes 2,000 to a maximum of 11,000 meters if deployed by a fixed-wing aircraft.
The maximum speed achievable by APKWS varies from 740 to 1,100 meters per second.
A software upgrade of the APKWS developed by BAE Systems has been available since the end of 2021, which increases its range by 30% via an optimized flight trajectory to hit targets with a steeper attack angle.
Source: US Department of Defense
Photo Credit: @USMC
