Infrared Seeker For APKWS Guided 70mm Rockets Unveiled
We now have our first look at a new version of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) 70mm guided rocket with an infrared seeker on top of the existing laser guidance capability. The dual-mode APKWS II allows the launch platform to more rapidly engage multiple targets in succession, which could be particularly valuable in the air-to-air role when facing down large groups of drones or cruise missiles.
Dave Smialek, director of business development at BAE Systems' Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions, talked today about the dual-mode APKWS II configuration with our Howard Altman on the floor of the Navy League's Sea Air Space 2025 exhibition. TWZ was the first to report that an additional passive infrared seeker was in the works for APKWS II, which emerged in the 2025 Marine Aviation Plan released earlier this year.
'So we're working on what we call a dual-mode seeker. So, it's an infrared seeker on top of the standard APK[WS II]. And the purpose is to increase the rate of fire,' Smialek explained. 'So now you'll still lase the target. You'll do an anoint and shoot. So rather than having to hold the lase for the duration [of the flight], from launch to terminal, you can now anoint your target, fire the rocket, [it] heads out, [and the] infrared seeker picks up the target.'
Then you can 'move to your next target, do the same thing,' he continued. 'It's all about increasing the rate of fire and doing a kind of a pseudo fire-and-forget capability.'
So, to summarize, an operator would initially lase the target to lock the infrared seeker onto it. Then after firing, the new APKWS variant would travel to its target autonomously. This is a major increase in efficiency over having to maintain a laser lock on the target throughout the weapon's flight.
TWZ highlighted exactly these factors in our previous reporting on work on an infrared seeker for APKWS II and what that would bring to the table, especially for anti-air use, writing:
'Still, there are real limitations to APKWS in the anti-air role, whether fired from the ground or the air. It is generally usable against slower-flying drones and some cruise missiles, both of which are largely non-reactionary, non-hard-maneuvering targets. They also require the target to be lased (laser-designated) throughout the rocket's flight. In other words, this is not a 'fire-and-forget' weapon, it needs to have its target illuminated until the warhead detonates. This limits the rapidity of multiple engagements and, especially for air-to-air applications, makes engagements tricky. For the latter, having one aircraft lasing and one firing would help with these limitations, especially considering that the rocket has limited range and speed, and the firing aircraft has to clear any blast fragmentation area quickly in order to not be struck by its own weapon's effects.'
'What would make these engagements far easier is if the APKWS rocket was equipped with its own infrared seeker, something we have mentioned before. This would allow it to lock on before launch and fly to its target autonomously. This means multiple targets could be engaged far faster and, in many cases, in a safer manner. It also means that radar could be used to help initially acquire the target and point the seeker at it prior to firing, both in ground and air-based applications.'
BAE's Smialek further described the dual-mode APKWS II as a next-generation evolution of the munition. The basic configuration consists of a laser guidance kit slotted in between one of a variety of warhead options and a standard 70mm rocket motor. This arrangement has been key to helping keep the overall unit cost of the munitions down, as well as allowing for the use of existing warhead and rocket motor stocks. The price point for the laser guidance unit is between $15,000 to $20,000, with the other components typically adding another few thousand dollars to the total cost.
Putting the infrared seeker on the nose of the dual-mode APKWS II is prompting changes to the warhead arrangement, which BAE Systems is still working out.
'When we go to the dual mode, we'll go to a mid-body warhead. We're going through lethality studies now that are showing really no impact to [the] end game,' Smialek said. 'Actually, the lethality analysis is showing that you're getting … potentially a greater blast-frag[mentation] pattern. But you should have no loss of lethality based on the mid-body warhead.'
How the new warhead configuration, together with the additional infrared seeker, will impact the unit cost of the dual-mode APKWS II compared to the baseline version is unclear. Smialek said that the new version is being developed with an eye toward 'maintaining the affordability' offered by the original design.
Even if the dual-mode APKWS II is two or three times more expensive than laser-guided-only types, it would still be significantly cheaper than traditional air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders and AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) air-to-air missiles have price tags around $450,000 and $1 million, respectively. The latest variants of the Stinger short-range man-portable surface-to-air missile reportedly each cost around $400,000, while higher-end interceptors like the Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) have a price tag of close to $4.2 million.
As noted, the dual-mode seeker would also be a valuable addition for engaging threats on land and at sea, and doing so more rapidly. There is another 70mm rocket with an infrared seeker on the market now, the U.S.-South Korean Low-cost Guided Imaging Rocket (LOGIR), which was developed primarily for coastal defense and other maritime applications.
The baseline laser-guided APKWS II is already a combat-proven munition in the air-to-surface, surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and air-to-air roles. TWZ was first to confirm earlier this year that U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters have been using APKWS II rockets as air-to-air munitions to down Houthi drones over and around the Red Sea. It has since emerged that those rockets have been optimized for use against aerial targets with the help of a software modification called FALCO, which stands for Fixed Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordnance. The Air Force first announced it had demonstrated the ability of APKWS II to serve as an air-to-air weapon back in 2019.
U.S. Fighter aircraft shoot down Iran-backed Houthi one-way-attack drones with AGR-20 FALCO Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Laser Guided 2.75" Rockets.#HouthisAreTerrorists pic.twitter.com/bDoVnKwotc
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 19, 2025
Dual-mode APKWS II will also retain the magazine depth benefits that the baseline version already offers, which again have particular value in the air-to-air role. A traditional air-to-air for the F-16, for instance, is just six missiles. Swapping just one of those missiles for a pair of seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, something we have seen on Vipers operating in the Red Sea region, more than triples the number of total engagement opportunities that the jet has on a single sortie.
U.S. operations against the Houthis in Yemen, as well as in the defense of Israel since October 2023, have underscored the importance of magazine depth when trying to shield against large waves of incoming drones and missiles. During the response to Iran's drone and missile barrage on Israel in April 2024, the crew of at least one Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle switched to the aircraft's 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to bring down anything with the gun. In that instance, aircraft were also landing to rearm while threats were still passing overhead.
These are scenarios that U.S. forces could expect to play out in even larger forms in future higher-end fights, especially a potential one against China in the Pacific. Interestingly, Air Force F-16s based in Japan have also been observed with air-to-air loadouts that feature APKWS II rockets during exercises.
2025.01.23ロケット7発
#RJSMpic.twitter.com/0oy11Ch4NI
— ポテッタン (@potettan620) January 23, 2025
The addition of the infrared seeker to the proven APKWS II package raises the possibility of future iterations of the design, as well, though BAE's Smialek says that the company is presently focused on the new dual-mode configuration. The company says it is targeting the end of 2026 to at least have the development of the new version of the APKWS II, which is currently being internally funded, largely wrapped up. When a branch of the U.S. military or any other customers might field it remains unknown.
Regardless, the new dual-mode guidance capability is a major development for the already highly-proven APKWS II rocket.
Howard Altman contributed to this story.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Military Embedded Systems Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2034: New Installations to Drive Growth, Edge Computing Emerges as Fastest Growing Technology
The global military embedded systems market is set to grow from $1.74 billion in 2024 to $3.7 billion by 2034. Key growth drivers include military modernization, AI adoption, and cybersecurity needs. North America leads, with Asia-Pacific as the fastest-growing region. Notable trends include rugged AI supercomputers and strategic partnerships enhancing military operations. Military Embedded Systems Market Dublin, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Military Embedded Systems Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2034" report has been added to report describes and explains the military embedded systems market and covers 2019-2024, termed the historic period, and 2024-2029, 2034F termed the forecast period. The report evaluates the market across each region and for the major economies within each region. The global military embedded systems market reached a value of nearly $1.74 billion in 2024, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.59% since 2019. The market is expected to grow from $1.74 billion in 2024 to $2.58 billion in 2029 at a rate of 8.18%. The market is then expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.46% from 2029 and reach $3.7 billion in 2034. The global military embedded systems markets is fairly fragmented, with large players operating in the market. The top 10 competitors in the market made up 15.10% of the total market in 2023. BAE Systems was the largest competitor with a 2.69% share of the market, followed by The Boeing Company with 1.94%, General Dynamics Corporation with 1.81%, Honeywell International Inc. with 1.66%, Leonardo S.p.A with 1.57%, Saab AB with 1.41%, Curtiss-Wright Corporation with 1.33%, Mercury Systems Inc. with 0.97%, Intel Corporation with 0.91% and NVIDIA Corporation with 0.81%.Growth in the historic period resulted from the increased government and defense investment, rise in unmanned aerial vehicles, growth in demand for real-time data processing and rise in terrorist activities. Factors that negatively affected growth in the historic period were stringent military standards and challenges in upgrading legacy systems. Going forward, the increasing military modernization programs, increasing AI adoption, increasing cybersecurity threats targeting military networks and favorable government initiatives will drive the growth. Factor that could hinder the growth of the military embedded systems market in the future include complex systems and technological adaptation America was the largest region in the military embedded systems market, accounting for 39.75% or $694.27 million of the total in 2024. It was followed by Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and then the other regions. Going forward, the fastest-growing regions in the military embedded systems market will be Asia-Pacific and North America where growth will be at CAGRs of 8.69% and 8.59% respectively. These will be followed by South America and Africa where the markets are expected to grow at CAGRs of 7.99% and 7.72% military embedded systems market is segmented by component into hardware and software. The hardware market was the largest segment of the military embedded systems market segmented by component, accounting for 60.14% or $1.05 billion of the total in 2024. Going forward, the software segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the military embedded systems market segmented by component, at a CAGR of 8.49% during military embedded systems market is segmented by installation type into new installation and upgradation. The upgradation market was the largest segment of the military embedded systems market segmented by installation type, accounting for 55.66% or $972.28 million of the total in 2024. Going forward, the new installation segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the military embedded systems market segmented by installation type, at a CAGR of 9.59% during military embedded systems market is segmented by platform into land, airborne, naval and space. The land market was the largest segment of the military embedded systems market segmented by platform, accounting for 43.04% or $751.86 million of the total in 2024. Going forward, the naval segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the military embedded systems market segmented by platform, at a CAGR of 9.70% during military embedded systems market is segmented by technology into edge computing, fog computing and mist computing. The edge computing market was the largest segment of the military embedded systems market segmented by technology, accounting for 53.45% or $933.64 million of the total in 2024. Going forward, the edge computing segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the military embedded systems market segmented by technology, at a CAGR of 8.98% during military embedded systems market is segmented by application into intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), command and control, communication and navigation, electronic warfare (EW), weapon and fire control, wearable and other applications. The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) market was the largest segment of the military embedded systems market segmented by application, accounting for 29.29% or $511.66 million of the total in 2024. Going forward, the electronic warfare (EW) segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the military embedded systems market segmented by application, at a CAGR of 9.92% during top opportunities in the military embedded systems market segmented by component will arise in the hardware segment, which will gain $490.88 million of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the military embedded systems market segmented by installation type will arise in the new installation segment, which will gain $449.57 million of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the military embedded systems market segmented by platform will arise in the land segment, which will gain $310.26 million of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the military embedded systems market segmented by technology will arise in the edge computing segment, which will gain $501.51 million of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the military embedded systems market segmented by application will arise in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) segment, which will gain $278.6 million of global annual sales by military embedded systems market size will gain the most in the USA at $328.46 strategies for the military embedded systems market include focus on developing technological advancements such as rugged embedded AI (artificial intelligence) supercomputers, focus on developing innovative advancements such as modular embedded computing systems, focus on developing advanced products like rugged military embedded processors, focus on developing innovative tools such as rad-hard transceiver interface solutions and focus on developing strategic partnerships. Player-adopted strategies in the military embedded systems market include focus on new product developments and enhancing its business operations through new take advantage of the opportunities, the analyst recommends the military embedded systems to focus on advancing rugged AI capabilities for harsh military environments, focus on expanding modular embedded computing for battlefield adaptability, focus on advancing rugged embedded processors for mission-critical performance, focus on accelerating investment in military embedded software solutions, expand in emerging markets, focus on capturing growth in the naval military embedded systems segment, focus on implementing value-based pricing to align with mission-critical demands, continue to use B2B promotions, focus on strengthening brand positioning through collaboration with defense primes and focus on expanding capabilities in electronic warfare Market Trends Rugged Embedded AI Supercomputers Enhance Military Autonomous Systems and Surveillance Modular Embedded Computing Enhances Battlefield Adaptability With Rapid Technology Upgrades Rugged Embedded Processor Enhances Mission-Critical Computing in Extreme Military Environments Rad-Hard Transceiver Interface Simplifies Integration for Military and Aerospace Communication Strategic Partnership Enhances Decision-Making and Connectivity for Military Operations Key Mergers and Acquisitions SERMA GROUP Completed Merger With KN Systems Honeywell International Inc Completed Acquisition of CAES Systems Holdings LLC (CAES) Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc Acquired CTT Inc Recent Developments New Project Enhances Military Situational Awareness Through Automatic 3D Modeling Software Development Unit Enables Smooth Transition to Next-Gen Space Computing Successful Demonstration Enhances Secure Connectivity for Military UAS Operations and Coordination Markets Covered: Component: Hardware; Software Installation Type: New Installation; Upgradation Platform: Land; Airborne; Naval; Space Technology: Edge Computing; Fog Computing; Mist Computing Application: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); Command and Control; Communication and Navigation; Electronic Warfare (EW); Weapon and Fire Control; Wearable; Other Applications Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 331 Forecast Period 2024 - 2034 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $1.74 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2034 $3.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.8% Regions Covered Global Companies Featured BAE Systems The Boeing Company General Dynamics Corporation Honeywell International Inc Leonardo S.p.A. Saab AB Curtiss-Wright Corporation Mercury Systems Inc. Intel Corporation NVIDIA Corporation Sentient Vision Systems Shield AI Nippon Kaiyo SRC, Inc. L3Harris Technologies ELTA Systems Group Korean Air Lines Co. Raytheon Australia Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Hanwha Aerospace Nvidia China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Helsing Limited Saab Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia Thales Group Airbus Defence and Space Lockheed Martin Rheinmetall AG Kontron AG Eurotech S.p.A. Milrem Robotics Kvertus WB Group D-TA Systems Inc. Mercury Systems Crank AMETEK Xilinx Pratt & Whitney Northrop Grumman Corporation Honeywell International Inc Fortem Technologies Collins Aerospace Xilinx Mercury Systems EDGE Group Emirates Defense Technology Robotics Engineering Systems (RES) Proforce Limited Denel Dynamics Nexter Tellumat Defense For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Military Embedded Systems Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
11-06-2025
- Business Wire
Boyd Recognized with Silver Tier Partner 2 Win Award from BAE Systems
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boyd, whose durable, high quality cooling technologies enable critical applications in aerospace and defense, today announced it received a Silver Tier Partner 2 Win Award from BAE Systems. Boyd was selected based on its exceptional performance and contributions to support supply chain success for BAE Systems' Electronic Systems sector in 2024. We are honored to receive recognition from BAE Systems. Boyd consistently demonstrates a commitment to the highest quality and delivery standards for customers, and this recognition validates our commitment to customer support and execution excellence. Share 'We are honored to receive this recognition from our valued customer, BAE Systems,' said Doug Britt, Boyd Chief Executive Officer. 'Boyd consistently demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of quality and delivery on behalf of its customers. This recognition validates our commitment to customer support and execution excellence.' BAE Systems' Partner 2 Win program promotes operational excellence and eliminates inefficiencies in its supply chain by raising the bar of performance expectations. As part of the program, BAE Systems meets regularly with its suppliers to transfer best practices and ensure the components and materials that comprise its products meet the highest quality standards. 'I want to sincerely thank our winning suppliers for their exceptional support and groundbreaking solutions that have set new standards in our industry,' said Jennica Dearborn, Vice President of Operations, Electronic Systems at BAE. 'We look forward to our continued collaborations with Boyd that push the boundaries of what's possible.' Boyd aerospace and defense thermal technologies are deployed in flight, space exploration and global communications satellites with cooling solutions designed to operate in the most dynamic and demanding conditions known to mankind. These thermal technologies require fully optimized systems that need little to no maintenance, are durable to withstand environmental extremes, and are compact and lightweight to ensure maximum fuel efficiency and payload capacity. Boyd's thermal innovation helps customers deploy increasingly greater power density electronics and higher system performance levels. Boyd's scalable design and manufacturing capabilities under defense-grade quality management systems safely accelerate customer speed to deployment. About Boyd Boyd is the trusted global innovator of sustainable solutions that make our customers' products better, safer, faster, and more reliable. Our innovative engineered materials and thermal solutions advance our customers' technology to maximize performance in the world's most advanced data centers; enhance reliability and extend range for electric and autonomous vehicles; advance the accuracy of cutting-edge personal healthcare and diagnostic systems; enable performance-critical aircraft and security technologies; and accelerate innovation in next-generation electronics and human-machine-interface. Core to Boyd's global manufacturing is a deep commitment to protecting the environment with sustainable, scalable, lean, strategically located regional operations that reduce waste and minimize carbon footprint. We empower our employees, develop their potential, and inspire them to do the right things with integrity and accountability to champion our customers' success. About BAE Systems The Electronic Systems sector of BAE Systems is part of a global defense, aerospace, and security company. We deliver products and services for air, land, sea, and space, as well as advanced electronics, intelligence, security, and IT solutions and support services. Our dedication shows in everything we design, produce, and deliver— to protect those who protect us in a high-performance, innovative culture. We push the limits of possibility to provide a critical advantage to our customers where it counts.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
This former penny stock fell 10% after the Musk-Trump clash! Time to buy?
Filtronic (LSE: FTC) has been on an almighty run lately, having risen 82% year to date to reach 137p. But the two-year gain is even more eye-popping, as this was a penny stock trading for just 13p back in June 2023. So that makes it a 10-bagger over this period! However, the Filtronic share price fell as much as 10% on 6 June. What caused this? And should I buy the dip? Filtronic designs and manufactures high-frequency communication products for various sectors, including telecommunications, aerospace, and defence. Its products include E-band transceivers, tower-mounted amplifiers, and other radio frequency (RF) components. Over the years, the firm has secured contracts with the likes of BAE Systems, QinetiQ, and the European Space Agency. However, it was a strategic partnership with SpaceX announced last year to supply specialist equipment for the Starlink satellite constellation that sent the stock surging. In February, Filtronic secured its largest production order from SpaceX, valued at $21m, to be fulfilled over the next couple of years. And this gave the firm confidence that it would beat previous market expectations for FY2025 and FY2026. Looking ahead, the company should also have an attractive pipeline of growth opportunities in the European defence and satellite communications markets. The founder of SpaceX is, of course, Elon Musk, and he's just fell out spectacularly with President Trump. I won't rehash the soap opera-like details here, as they're widely available elsewhere. But Trump did threaten to terminate federal contracts for Musk's enterprises, including SpaceX. This prompted Musk to announce the immediate decommissioning of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is critical for transporting astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. What has any of this got to do with Filtronic? Well, Reuters reports that around $22bn worth of federal contracts could be at risk. If so, SpaceX's budget and the continued pace of the Starlink build-out could be jeopardised. That may lead to reduced need for Filtronic's components in the years ahead. Given that Filtronic has scaled up manufacturing and R&D to meet future demand, it might face excess capacity and margin pressure. In this situation, sentiment for Filtronic shares could sour, sending them much lower. Now, this is all just theoretical. As I write, Musk has retracted the kneejerk Dragon capsule decision, and it even seems like there might be some sort of public reunion with Trump. But literally anything could happen from this point onwards. Weighing things up, there doesn't appear to be any immediate threat to Filtronic. And the share price pullback isn't that severe in the grand scheme of things. As I write, it's just 6%. The company's revenue for FY2026, which has just started, is forecast to be £50m. That would be double what it was in FY2023, signalling very robust growth. However, this stock is currently trading at around 45 times forward earnings, and there's no dividend. Much of the company's current value rests on the SpaceX partnership, which could be a double-edged sword if anything goes wrong there. Investors considering the stock should be mindful of the relatively high valuation and customer concentration risks. While I like the SpaceX-related growth story here, I'm currently not looking to buy any shares. The post This former penny stock fell 10% after the Musk-Trump clash! Time to buy? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has positions in BAE Systems. The Motley Fool UK has recommended BAE Systems and QinetiQ Group Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
