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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Counter-Drone Weapons Diverted From Ukraine To Middle East Amid Rising Tensions, Hegseth Confirms
The U.S. diverted counter-drone capabilities away from Ukraine and to American forces in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed today during testimony on Capitol Hill. Exactly what systems were included is not clear, but laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rocket systems are at least part, if not the main focus of this diversion in materiel. APKWS, which transforms unguided 70mm rockets into highly precise guided munitions, has been a comparatively inexpensive weapon that Ukraine has used to defend its skies against drones and low-flying cruise missiles. However, as we were the first to report, they have also been adapted to the air-to-air role, with U.S. Air Force F-16s taking down Houthi drones using the guided rockets, which drastically expands how many drone targets a single jet can engage without rearming. APKWS II rocket pods are now cleared for the heavy-hitting F-15E, as well, and they are already forward deployed with them to Jordan. The contention over the distribution of these weapons comes as the possibility of an Israeli and/or U.S. attack on Iran mounts. Questions also linger about the supply of these air defense capabilities and the Pentagon's ability to restock what has already been expended. 'Senator, as you know, the Middle East is and remains a very dynamic theater,' Hegseth explained during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday morning. 'In the interest of putting America and Americans first, we're going to surge counter UAS systems to our troops and our bases and our places first, if we think there's a potential for a threat, and considering the environment there right now that has been and will continue to be a priority for us.' In his testimony, Hegseth did not specifically address what type of weapons or the exact nature of the threat. However, he was answering a question about media reporting that 'the Pentagon is or has diverted anti-drone technology intended for Ukraine to the US Air Force in the Middle East…' The exchange begins at the 1 hour and 14 minute mark in the following video. Hegseth's testimony came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told ABC News that the U.S. would divert '20,000 missiles – anti-Shahed missiles' earmarked for Ukraine in an agreement with the Biden administration to the Middle East. 'Without the help of the United States, we will have more losses,' Zelensky told the network's Martha Raddatz in Kyiv last week. There are no traditional missiles available in anywhere near that number, but APKWS is designed to be produced in large numbers and is specifically capable of countering Russian Shahed-136 long-range suicide drones. "We counted on these 20,000 missiles"Says President Zelenskyy, after learning that weapons previously approved by the Biden administration for Ukraine were instead diverted to the Middle East. — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 9, 2025 Zelensky's comments followed a Wall Street Journal exclusive that the Trump administration 'is redirecting a key anti-drone technology earmarked for Ukraine to American forces, a move that reflects the Pentagon's waning commitment to Kyiv's defense.' The Pentagon 'quietly notified Congress last week that special fuzes for rockets that Ukraine uses to shoot down Russian drones are now being allocated to U.S. Air Force units in the Middle East,' the publication added, noting that the fuzes were designed for the APKWS rockets. What this is referring to are the specially-designed proximity fuzes that optimize the APKWS concept for counter-drone applications. In an internal memo last month, Hegseth 'authorized the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, a Pentagon office that ensures commanders' weapons needs are met, to provide the fuzes to the U.S. Air Force, even though they were initially bought for Ukraine,' WSJ explained. 'The Pentagon told the Senate Armed Services Committee in the previously undisclosed message that the U.S. military's need for the fuzes was a 'Secretary of Defense Identified Urgent Issue. Hegseth's testimony on Wednesday sheds additional light on that story, which the Pentagon declined to comment on. Hegseth's explanation on Wednesday about the air defense munitions comes as reports are emerging on social media of evacuations and alerts are being issued at U.S. facilities in the Middle East. 'The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,' a U.S. defense official told The War Zone Wednesday afternoon. 'Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the CENTCOM AOR. CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our Allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.' The U.S. embassy in Iraq is preparing for an ordered departure due to heightened security risks in the region, officials say. — Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) June 11, 2025 Alerts are starting to go out in the Middle East due to the security situation:– Dependents in Bahrain are authorized to leave. – US Embassy in Baghdad is preparing to evacuate. Tonight is when I would look for the Pentagon Pizza Index to be fired up. — TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) June 11, 2025 BREAKING: The U.S. Navy has reportedly placed its base in Bahrain on HIGH ALERT. Dependents are being authorized for something big brewing in the Gulf? — John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) June 11, 2025 As we reported yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump has been presented with a broad array of potential military options against Iran should ongoing nuclear negotiations with that country fail. Israel is already reportedly moving ever closer to at least being in a position to launch its own strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The direct and indirect blowback from any such operations against Iran could be immense. Fears that U.S.-Iranian nuclear talks are on the verge of collapse have been steadily growing in the past week or so amid statements from both sides outlining potentially intractable positions. Iran's ability to continue domestic enrichment of nuclear material that could be used to produce nuclear weapons has emerged as a key stumbling block to reaching a deal. Top U.S. military commander in the Middle East General Kurilla confirms that he has presented military options on Iran to President Trump & SecDef Hegseth in House Armed Services Committee this morning. — Brian Katulis (@Katulis) June 10, 2025 As was proven in the U.S. battle against the Houthi rebels of Yemen and Ukraine's fight against Russia, the APKWS rockets would be a hugely valuable asset protecting against any Iranian or proxy drones and subsonic cruise missiles should the situation there devolve into open conflict. Each APKWS II rocket consists of a laser guidance package inserted between a standard 70mm rocket motor and one of a variety of warhead options. Originally designed as an air-to-ground munition, APKWS II is cleared for use on Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs, as well as U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets on the fixed-wing side. The F-15E has recently been added to that list. The precision-guided rockets are also part of the arsenals available for Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches. As an air-to-air weapon, however, it is limited to engaging non-reactionary, low-performance targets that fly along relatively steady courses. Still, the magazine depth they offer, combined with the lower unit cost of an APKWS II rocket compared to traditional air-to-air missiles, presents clear benefits. The latest variants of the AIM-120 cost around $1 million apiece, while current-generation AIM-9Xs each have a price tag around $450,000. The most expensive part of an APKWS II rocket is the guidance section, which costs between $15,000 and $20,000, with the rocket motor and warhead adding a few thousand dollars more to the total price point. As noted previously in this story, we broke the news that U.S. Air Force F-16s used the rockets to down Houthi drones during operations in and around the Red Sea in the past year. Last month, we reported that a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle down-range in the Middle East was seen with an air-to-air loadout that includes six seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as four AIM-9X and four AIM-120 missiles. This came a week after TWZ was the first to report on testing of the rockets as a new armament option for the F-15E. As we noted at that time, the exact loadout we're now seeing on a deployed Strike Eagle turns the jet into a counter-drone and cruise missile 'weapons truck' with a whopping 50 engagement opportunities, not counting the internal gun. U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 30, 2025 APKWS rockets first appeared in Ukraine in May 2023, however, they were designed as a ground attack system. A video circulating online at the time showed at least one American-supplied up-armored M1152A1 Humvee with an Arnold Defense LAND-LGR4 four-shot launcher firing what are said to be Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II rockets. You can see that system in the following video, but its worth noting this was not for counter drone applications. APU for the first time showed the work of the APKWS systemThe footage of missiles hitting targets was recorded by a drone. — Lew Anno Support#Israel #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) May 8, 2023 More importantly, the U.S. has also supplied VAMPIRE counter-drone system to Ukraine, which uses the laser-guided 70mm rockets with counter-drone fuzes as effectors fired from launchers mounted on Humvees. They began appearing in country in December 2023. This system has been used widely and has had great success, especially against the aforementioned Shahed-136 long-range Kamikaze drones that have ravaged Ukraine for years now. VAMPIRE and its APKWS rockets are also seen as more critical than ever to Ukraine as far more expensive and treasured surface-to-air missiles are increasingly scarce. APKWS gives Ukraine another proven way to defend key target areas against lower-end, but still the most prolific long-range aerial threats they face — the Shaheds — without blowing through prized SAMs. The moment of the downing of Russian Shahed-136/Geran-2 loitering munition by the units of the Ukrainian Navy over Odesa Oblast of Ukraine last loitering munition was taken down with the VAMPIRE system, which employs the APKWS rockets. — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) March 11, 2024 We don't know if new VAMPIRE systems, or other counter drone capabilities, including electronic warfare systems, were also diverted to U.S. military in the Middle East, not just the rocket kits. It is not publicly known how many counter-drone-capable APKWS rockets were used by the U.S. Air Force against the Houthis or how many were provided to Ukraine. Citing operational security concerns, the U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) declined to tell us how many were expended against the Houthis. Because these are made up of rockets and a separate specialized guidance system, it is difficult to determine how many remain in U.S. stocks. The Pentagon did not immediately answer our question about the number provided to Ukraine or how many the U.S. still has. However, during his testimony on Wednesday, Hegseth hinted that the supply is a concern. Asked if the U.S. has the 'capability of resupplying or reinserting that technology into other places, including Ukraine,' the defense secretary said that remains unknown. 'We would have to review the capacity, but it's one of the challenges of all the munitions that we've given to Ukraine over the over these last three years, is we've created some challenges in other places,' he said. Contact the author: howard@
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
F-15E Armed With Drone Killing Laser-Guided Rockets Appears In Middle East
We now have a picture showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle down-range in the Middle East with an air-to-air loadout that includes six seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as four AIM-9X and four AIM-120 missiles. This comes a week after TWZ was the first to report on testing of the laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets as a new armament option for the F-15E. As we noted at that time, the exact loadout we're now seeing on a deployed Strike Eagle turns the jet into a counter-drone and cruise missile 'weapons truck' with a whopping 50 engagement opportunities, not counting the internal gun. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted the picture in question, seen at the top of this story, today on social media with a basic caption offering no additional context. TWZ had reached out to CENTCOM and the Air Force for more information. U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 30, 2025 There are indications that the image was taken at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which has long been a known hub for U.S. F-15E operations in the region. Picture posted by USCENTCOM Twitter account showing an F-15E with an anti-UAV is: 31.827123, 36.797503 (Muwaffaq Salti AB, Jordan.F-15E is 87-0210 from 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. — Evergreen Intel (@ 2025-05-30T17:47:36.641Z The image of the rocket-toting F-15E that had emerged last week via social media channels associated with The Merge military aviation podcast was taken at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, but it remains unclear when. 'The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System,' Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing at Eglin, previously told TWZ when asked for more information about that picture. 'By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.' The U.S. military still does not appear to have officially announced the integration of laser-guided APKWS II onto the F-15E. Originally designed as an air-to-ground munition, APKWS II is cleared for use on Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs, as well as U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets on the fixed-wing side. The precision-guided rockets are also part of the arsenals available for Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches. Each APKWS II rocket consists of a laser guidance package inserted between a standard 70mm rocket motor and one of a variety of warhead options. Regardless, it is not at all surprising that an F-15E with the heavy rocket loadout has now emerged in the Middle East in an operational context. As we previously wrote: 'The Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo's potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II's ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes.' 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 — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 19, 2025 'Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity.' … 'Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor.' The F-15E also has the advantage of being a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot in front to focus on flying the plane while the back-seater engages targets in the air or on the ground and performs other tasks. It is worth mentioning that Muwaffaq Salti was a major staging point for the aforementioned F-15E sorties in the defense of Israel last year. Stunning accounts of those operations have since emerged. This includes at least one instance in which a Strike Eagle crew switched to the jet's 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot down anything with the gun. It would make sense that an APKWS II capability for the F-15E, particularly for use in the air-to-air role, would have been rushed into service after those experiences, and subsequently fielded to Strike Eagle units deployed in Jordan. APKWS II is limited in the air-to-air role to engaging non-reactionary, low-performance targets that fly along relatively steady courses like one-way-attack drones and subsonic cruise missiles. Currently, targets have to be manually designated, or 'lazed,' throughout the entire course of the engagement, as well. APKWS II's prime contractor, BAE Systems, is now working on a dual-mode guidance package that incorporates an infrared seeker that is designed to offer a pseudo-fire-and-forget capability to make it easier to move on from engaging on target to the next, as you can read more about here. At the same time, the aforementioned magazine depth, together with the lower unit cost of an APKWS II rocket compared to traditional air-to-air missiles, offers clear benefits. The latest variants of the AIM-120 cost around $1 million apiece, while current-generation AIM-9Xs each have a price tag around $450,000. The most expensive part of an APKWS II rocket is the guidance section, which costs between $15,000 and $20,000, with the rocket motor and warhead adding a few thousand dollars more to the total price point. As shown by the F-15E in the newly released picture, air-to-air loadouts incorporating APKWS II can also still include air-to-air missiles for prosecuting more demanding threats. It remains likely that APKWS II will be integrated onto further fixed-wing aircraft in the future for use in the air-to-air role, such as the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. The Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle fleet has now gotten a major firepower boost, especially for hunting down incoming drones and cruise missiles. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
US Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle gets drone-fighting upgrade with 42 guided rockets
The US Air Force is experimenting with a new loadout for the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that integrates low-cost, precision-guided missiles aimed at countering drones and cruise missiles, according to The War Zone. A Strike Eagle from the 96th Test Wing was spotted carrying six seven-tube launchers loaded with 70mm APKWS II rockets, giving it a payload of up to 42 guided munitions. Combined with the jet's standard air-to-air missile arsenal, the loadout greatly expands Strike Eagle's ability to engage a range of aerial threats, particularly unmanned systems and low-flying cruise missiles. The new combat loadout is intended for situations where traditional air-to-air missiles—limited in quantity and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each—may be inadequate or too costly for high-volume engagements. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II), also known as the AGR-20, was developed in the early 2000s to turn standard Hydra 70 rockets into precision-guided weapons. Built by a team led by aerospace company BAE Systems, along with Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, the system keeps most of the original rocket parts—like the motor, warhead, and fuze—but adds a guidance unit in the middle, Army Recognition Group reports. Designed to improve precision and efficiency, APKWS II helps reduce collateral damage and shortens ordnance handling time by 50 percent. Testing first began in 2002, but after uneven performance, the program was revamped and rebranded as APKWS II in 2005. Early in 2025, BAE Systems rolled out an upgraded version of the APKWS II missile, now featuring an infrared seeker. This addition allows the missile to lock onto a target's heat signature after the initial laser designation, enhancing its ability to engage fast or maneuverable threats such as loitering munitions. Since its introduction, APKWS II has become a vital weapon for the US military, evolving from a precise air-to-ground rocket into a flexible tool for attacking both air and ground targets. It has been used on many aircraft, including helicopters like the Apache and Viper, and jets like the F-16, A-10, and F/A-18. Outfitting the F-15E—which offers greater range and payload than the F-16—with APKWS II transforms the jet into a high-endurance missile truck, capable of staying in the air longer and striking more targets in a single mission. Furthermore, APKWS II has also been adapted for ground use through systems like VAMPIRE, sent to Ukraine, and the Electronic Advanced Ground Launcher System (EAGLS), acquired by the US Navy in 2024 for counter-drone missions in the Middle East. In 2023, combat videos showed VAMPIRE systems mounted on M1152 Humvees in Ukraine engaging Russian drones and reportedly intercepting a Kh-59 cruise missile over the Black Sea. Thus, the improved APKWS II has already seen action a few months ago, when in March, the US Central Command released footage of F-16s using the missile to shoot down Houthi drones over Yemen.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
F-15E Spotted Packing Big Laser-Guided Rocket Arsenal Ideal For Drone Hunting
A picture has emerged showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle loaded with at least three seven-shot 70mm rocket pods under its left wing. If the jet had three more pods on the right side, this would amount to a whopping 42 rockets, which could be carried together with eight traditional air-to-air missiles. Such a loadout would turn the F-15E in a flying counter-drone and cruise missile arsenal ship capable of an incredible 50 engagement opportunities, minus the gun. The Air Force has already proven the extreme value of laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets in the air-to-air role in combat on the F-16, news TWZ first broke earlier this year and has continued to follow very closely. Integrating APKWS II into the F-15E's arsenal isn't surprising, especially considering how active these aircraft have been in countering lower-performing aerial threats. The picture of the rocket-armed F-15E, seen below, first appeared on social media accounts for The Merge, a military aviation podcast and associated newsletter, yesterday. 'An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle testing laser-guided rockets was spotted with a 6-pod 42-rocket loadout in flight test,' The Merge wrote in an accompanying post on Instagram. That's a beast-mode-for-drones loadout. — The Merge (@MergeNewsletter) May 22, 2025 Though The Merge says the aircraft was carrying six rocket pods at the time, only three are clearly visible in the image on the jet's left underwing pylon, but a symmetric load makes perfect sense. Pods full of laser-guided APKWS II rockets are relatively easy to spot since the weapons are longer than unguided 70mm types and their noses protrude noticeably from the front as a result. As it exists now, APKWS II consists primarily of a laser guidance section sandwiched between one of a variety of warhead types and a standard 70mm rocket motor. In addition to the rocket pods, the Strike Eagle has an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) without control fins and a flight test data pod under its left wing. An AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod (which incorporates a forward-looking infrared sensor and a terrain-following radar) are seen loaded on the stations under the jet's left and right air intakes, respectively. The F-15E seen in the picture also has an 'ET' tail code, reflecting an aircraft assigned to the 96th Test Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. 'I can confirm the pic was taken here at Eglin AFB,' Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing, told TWZ when asked for more information about the image of the rocket-toting F-15E. 'The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.' When the F-15E might be cleared to operationally employ APKWS II rockets is unclear. 'Unfortunately, we can't speak to specific timelines [for the test work], but we can say it was done rapidly,' Myers continued. In U.S. service, on the fixed-wing side, the precision-guided rockets have been integrated onto Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs. Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches, can also employ APKWS II. A full air-to-air loadout for the F-15E currently consists of eight missiles. Four missiles – either short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) – can be loaded on launch rails on either side of the Strike Eagle's two underwing pylons. Two more AIM-120s can be carried on pylons on each of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) attached to the sides of the fuselage. The jets can also carry a wide array of air-to-ground munitions and other stores on the pylons under their wings, on the CFTs, and on their ventral centerline hardpoint. Adding APKWS II to the F-15E's already very expansive arsenal would give the jet an additional lower-cost tool for precisely engaging a variety of ground targets, as well. These can include light armored vehicles. As the newly emerged picture highlights in showing 21 engagement opportunities on a single pylon, the laser-guided rockets offer significant benefits when it comes to magazine depth. But it's the Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo's potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II's ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes. 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 — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 19, 2025 Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity. APKWS II is also a significantly lower-cost anti-air weapon than traditional air-to-air missiles in U.S. military inventory today. The APKWS II guidance kit, which is the most expensive part of the munition, has a unit cost of around $15,000 to $20,000. The warhead and motor add a few thousand dollars more to the total unit price. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each cost in the region of $450,000, while the latest AIM-120 variants are $1 million or more apiece. Even with the air-to-air specific upgrades developed for APKWS II, it does still has limitations when employed against aerial threats, as TWZ has noted in the past in the context of F-16 counter-drone missions: 'In an air-to-air engagement, the laser designator in the LITENING pod could be used to 'laze' or designate the target. LITENING's sensor turret can be slaved to the radar on the aircraft carrying it, or vice versa. So-called buddy lasing, where one aircraft designates the target for another, could also be useful in this case, especially given the speed differential between typical Houthi drones and F-16s. One jet could keep the target steadily lazed while the other makes its attack run.' 'APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.' BAE Systems, the prime contractor for the APKWS II, is now developing a dual-mode guidance package that adds a passive infrared seeker to give the rocket a quasi-fire-and-forget capability. A laser designator would still be needed to provide initial cueing, but the launch platform would be able to move much more rapidly from engaging one target to the next with the addition of the infrared guidance mode, as you can read more about here. Pairing F-15E with APKWS II, even just with the guided rocket's existing capabilities, would offer additional advantages in the air-to-air role given the range and endurance of the Strike Eagle, as well as its substantial overall payload capacity. The F-15E is also a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot to remain fully focused on flying the aircraft while the back-seater handles targeting duties. Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor. Specifically, while responding to Iran's drone and missile attacks on Israel in April 2024, F-15Es had to land to rearm while threats were still flying overhead. At least one Strike Eagle crew switched to their aircraft's 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot anything down. 'The drone war is kind of like a video game. You just gotta get the jets up in the air and position them correctly for an intercept. The radar will easily see them after they're launched and then it's just how many missiles you have versus how many drones are launched. The technical aspect of detecting them and downing them is easy,' Daren 'Shotgun' Sorenson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew F-15Es, told TWZ in an interview last summer. 'It's easy work. You can do it all day long until you run out of missiles.' The Air Force also recently sent a detachment of F-15Es to the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, explicitly to provide force protection for forces currently there, including B-52 bombers, a deployment TWZ was first to report. This only further underscores the key role Strike Eagles are already playing in shielding high-value assets, especially from drones and cruise missiles. All of this also applies at least equally, if not more so, to the Air Force's incoming F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The F-15EX is the latest and most capable variant to emerge in the extended Strike Eagle family, and is expected to be used primarily in the homeland air defense role in U.S. service, at least initially. Last year, TWZ laid out in detail how the Strike Eagle's performance in the anti-air role in the Middle East had bolstered the case for the EX in U.S. and Israeli service. Indonesia also plans to buy F-15s derived from the EX variant, and other foreign customers, including Poland, could be on the horizon. 'The proliferation of one-way attack drones is driving a massive demand signal for counter-UAS capabilities,' The Merge also told TWZ directly when asked about the picture of the rocket-armed Strike Eagle. 'The cost exchange afforded by APKWS rockets–and the flexibility and magazine depth by putting them on the F-15E/X–should make a meaningful difference.' Adding APKWS II to the F-15E's arsenal, especially for air-to-air use, could be a factor in ongoing debates about the future of the Air Force's Strike Eagles, as well. Congress recently blocked the service, at least until 2027, from pursuing plans to retire more than half of the heavily in-demand Strike Eagle fleet. It would also not be surprising at all to see APKWS II join already growing air-to-air loadouts available to U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. A year ago, Houthi drone threats in and around the Red Sea had already prompted that service to launch a crash program to increase the number of AIM-9Xs a Super Hornet could carry on a single sortie. The Navy has since officially dubbed F/A-18E/Fs armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs as 'Murder Hornets.' Regardless of the threat of partial retirement, many F-15Es remain in Air Force service in the coming years, there are clear signs the jets are now in line to get an important firepower boost, including when it comes to shooting down drones, in the form of APKWS II. Howard Altman and Tyler Rogoway contributed to this story. Special thanks to The Merge for sharing the picture of the rocket-armed F-15E and additional information. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
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 — 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 # — 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@
