US Navy delivers new APKWS variant
The US Navy has delivered the first fixed-wing aircraft variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) to the marine attack squadron (VMA) 233 operating the AV-8B Harrier, it was announced on 30 March.
The 2.75-inch rockets with semi-active laser guidance were fielded after the marine corps put forth its requirement for the variant seven months ago. The APKWS rocket from BAE can be used to strike targets in confined and built-up areas.
The semi-active laser seeker enables the system to beam-ride reflected laser energy from ground-based or airborne laser designators for positive target acquisition.
A two-phase programme was defined to field the weapon variant. The first phase expedited fielding of a limited fixed-wing APKWS employment flight envelope capability. This included the delivery of 80 guidance kits. The second phase will expand the fixed-wing APKWS employment envelope limits for the Harrier.
Col Fred Schenk, program manager, AV-8B Harrier weapon system program office, said: ‘This capability will provide commanders with a warfighting alternative to better enable weapon-to-target pairing.’
Capt Al Mousseau, program manager, direct and time sensitive strike program office, said: ‘The intent of this requirement was to quickly provide the AV-8B with a low-cost, low-collateral damage, high-precision weapon in support of combat operations. This entire effort showcases what unity of effort among all government and industry stakeholders can accomplish to expediently deliver capability.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem]()
SAHA 2026 to Convene the Global Defence Ecosystem
SAHA 2026 brings global defence and aerospace leaders to Istanbul for partnerships, launches, panels and high-value meetings.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
