Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System

AGR-20 (APKWS II)
Top: standard Hydra 70
Bottom: APKWS
TypeGuided rocket
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2012–present
Used bySee Foreign users
Production history
ManufacturerBAE Systems
Unit cost$22,000
No. built100,000
Specifications
Mass32 lb (15 kg)
Length73.8 in (1.87 m)
Diameter2.75 in (70 mm) (unfired)
Effective firing range1,100–5,000 m (0.68–3.11 mi) (rotary wing);
2–11 km (1.2–6.8 mi) (fixed wing)

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a kit that equips Hydra 70 unguided rockets with laser guidance and turns them into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). The weapon bridges the gap between the Hydra 70 and AGM-114 Hellfire systems, providing a cheaper way to hit lightly armored targets. The original version never entered service; an upgraded version, the APKWS II, did, and is designated the AGR-19/AGR-20/AGR-21 with numerous variants.

The system uses Hydra 70 launchers, rocket motors, warheads, and fuzes, adding a mid-body guidance unit developed by BAE Systems to produce a laser-guided weapon that, compared to other U.S. PGMs, is about one-third the cost and weight, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one-quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

APKWS is the U.S. government's only program of record for the semi-active, laser-guided 2.75 inches (70 mm) rocket. The winning bidder for the APKWS contract was the team of BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, beating the offerings from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Systems.

In 2015, the APKWS was tested in live-fire exercises with the Forges de Zeebrugge unguided rocket, showing that it can convert other rocket types into PGMs.

Design

The APKWS uses the Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) technology, which puts a laser seeker in the leading edge of each of the forward control canards, enabling Hydra 70 warheads to be used without the need for a laser seeker in the missile nose.

The APKWS system is composed of the launch platform, rockets equipped with the WGU-59/B mid-body guidance unit, the lengthened 7-tube LAU-68 F/A rocket launcher, the SCS 7 aiming cue (not needed for attack helicopters), and Fastpack PA-140 and CNU-711/E storage kits for rockets and guidance kits, respectively, to ensure they are safe in the field. The WGU-59/B mid-body guidance unit is equipped with DASALS seeker optics that deploy a half-second after launch. They are attached between the Mk 66 Mod 4 rocket motor and a warhead and fuze, increasing the Hydra 70's length by 18.5 in (47 cm) and weight by 9 lb (4.1 kg).

Its range is 1,100 to 5,000 meters; at the minimum range, the target can be struck less than five seconds after launch. Range is constrained by the existing Hydra 70 motor, but since the seeker can see as far as 14 km (8.7 mi), a more powerful motor could extend range while retaining accuracy. Nammo is working on a modified rocket motor that can extend range to 12–15 km (7.5–9.3 mi).

A software upgrade of the APKWS was planned for late 2021; the upgrade increases range by 30% by means of an optimized flight trajectory to engage targets at a steeper angle of attack, while also being qualified on both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in a single variant and improving the surface danger zone logic for better training range options.

In June 2021, BAE tested the APKWS in a counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) role. An APKWS-equipped rocket was fitted with a proximity fuze and destroyed a Class 2 UAS. The proximity fuze enables it to intercept UAS at a lower cost than other methods, and due to the rocket's laser guidance that activates on launch it does not require locking on to the target before launch.

In April 2025, a new dual-mode APKWS II variant with a full-scale mockup was revealed, featuring a passive infrared sensor as well as the original's laser-guidance, allowing the weapon to be fired with "anoint-and-shoot" capability (where the target is initially lased to orient the missile, but the lase is not maintained and the infrared sensor takes over for terminal guidance) to increase rate of fire, particularly against large numbers of cruise missile or unmanned aerial vehicle targets. The addition of the nose-mounted infrared seeker necessitated moving the warhead to the mid-body of the rocket, which provides an improved blast- fragmentation pattern with no loss of lethality; however modifications increase the cost compared to the original. Development is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Specifications

  • Length: 73.8 in (1.87 m)
  • Diameter: 2.75 in (70 mm)
  • Wingspan: 9.55 in (24.3 cm)
  • Weight: 32 lb (15 kg)
  • Speed: 1,000 m/s (3,600 km/h; 2,200 mph; Mach 2.9) at max
  • Range: 1,100–5,000 m (0.68–3.11 mi) (rotary wing); 2–11 km (1.2–6.8 mi) (fixed wing)
  • Guidance: Semi-active laser homing
  • CEP: <0.5 meters
  • Motor: Existing Hydra 70 motors
  • Warhead: Existing Hydra 70 warhead

Program status

Deployment

  • March 2012: APKWS II achieves initial operating capability (IOC) and is sent to Afghanistan with the United States Marine Corps. Plans are to integrate it onto the MQ-8 Fire Scout.
  • July 2012: BAE Systems receives full-rate production contract for APKWS from the U.S. Navy. The first FRP deliveries were in October 2012 and the company expected the next FRP option to be awarded by the end of 2012.
  • September 2012: The Navy awards a contract to officially integrate the APKWS into the Fire Scout.
  • October 2012: BAE announces its intention to modify the APKWS II to be fired from fixed-wing tactical fighter platforms.
  • January 2013: Additional conversion kits ordered. No in flight failures during the 100 combat launches in Afghanistan to date.
  • February 2013: APKWS launched from an A-10 Thunderbolt II. Three sorties were conducted. The first sortie carried the rocket and launcher, and the second sortie fired an inert, unguided rocket to ensure the weapon would separate from the aircraft. Two armed rockets were fired during the third sortie from 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The second rocket launched into a 70 knot headwind, and both impacted within inches of the target. The Air Force is considering using the APKWS II operationally by 2015 if further testing is successful.
  • March 2013: APKWS is integrated onto the Bell 407GT.
  • April 2013: A UH-1Y Venom fired 10 APKWS rockets at stationary and moving small boat targets, scoring 100 percent accurate hits on single and multiple targets over water. The engagement ranged from 2–4 km using inert Mk152 high explosive and MK149 flechette warheads. The UH-1Y had the boats designated by an MH-60S.
  • October 2013: APKWS successfully fired from an AH-64 Apache. Eight rockets were fired with the helicopter flying at up to 150 kn (170 mph; 280 km/h) and up to 5 km (3.1 mi) from the target. Launch altitudes ranged from 300 ft to 1,500 ft. BAE wants airworthiness qualification on the Apache for international sales to AH-64 operators.
  • March 2014: LAU-61 G/A Digital Rocket Launcher (DRL) deployed with HSC-15.
  • July 2014: BAE reveals that the APKWS has reached Early Operational Capability (EOC) with one squadron of MH-60S helicopters. The MH-60R will be outfitted within "12-18 months."
  • August 2014: APKWS tested on Australian Army Eurocopter Tiger at Woomera Test Range. A helicopter was on the ground and fired seven rockets which successfully hit their targets. The rocket could enter Australian service by early 2015 on army Tigers and navy MH-60R helicopters.
  • November 2014: APKWS tested on Australian Army, 16 Aviation Brigade, Eurocopter Tigers, this time airborne, near Darwin. Tests included using APKWS to convert a Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) unguided rocket into a laser precision-guided weapon. All 10 rockets struck within a metre of the laser spot.
  • October 2015: US Army AH-64 Apache helicopters to field weapon in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • March 2016: First rocket variants for launch from fixed-wing aircraft shipped to Marine Corps Harriers.
  • June 2016: APKWS deployed on USAF F-16 and A-10 as part of an urgent operational requirement.
  • October 2016: Production rate increased to 5,000 a year.
  • June 2016-January 2017: 200 APKWS used against ISIL targets, including 60 during the Battle of Mosul.
  • February 2018: First operational deployment of APKWS on Marine Corps legacy F/A-18 Hornets.
  • December 2019: US Air Force demonstrates air-to-air capability of AGR-20A to cue off Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod and intercept low-flying cruise missiles.

In December 2019, the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, conducted a test using APKWS rocket against a drone representing a cruise missile. By adapting the rocket for cruise missile defense, it can serve the same role as the much more expensive AIM-120 missile, according to an Air Force release. "The test was unprecedented and will shape the future of how the Air Force executes CMD," Col. Ryan Messer, commander of the 53d Wing at Eglin, said in a release. "This is a prime example of how the 53d Wing is using resources readily available to establish innovative ways that enhance combat capabilities for our combat units."

In June 2020, BAE announced they had completed test firings of the APKWS from a ground launcher for the first time. Several rockets were fired from an Arnold Defense-built launcher called the Fletcher designed specifically for ground vehicles, demonstrating the weapon's ability to address a demand for standoff ground-to-ground precision munitions for small ground units. In April 2024, the U.S. Navy ordered five Electronic Advanced Ground Launcher Systems (EAGLS) for rapid delivery in response to an urgent need to respond to UAS threats in the Middle East. EAGLS is a self-contained system consisting of a four-round APKWS launcher, a sensor turret with EO/IR cameras, and an RPS-40 radar.

In 2024, a new model of the APKWS, the AGR-20F FALCO (Fixed Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordnance) was officially integrated onto U.S. Air Force F-16s of the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Aviano Air Base, Italy, deployed to the Middle East, successfully downing Houthi loitering munitions over the Red Sea. Designed to counter low-cost one-way attack drone swarms and cruise missiles, the air-to-air rocket variant adapts standard 2.75-inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 rockets with a mid-body guidance unit and specialized nose-mounted long-wave infrared (LWIR) / dual-mode seeker capabilities. It features a M151 high-explosive warhead paired with a dual safe proximity fuze for airburst target detection and reaches speeds up to Mach 2.9 with its effective engagement ranges generally spanning of up to 7.5 to over 12 kilometers depending on the launch platform and altitude. In August of the same year, combatant commanders issued a Joint Urgent Operational Need (JUON) (Designation CC-0588) to scale up low-cost defenses against Group 3 drone swarms. In October, the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, scored dozens of kills using the rockets over Yemen. In May 2025, the U.S. Air Force 96th and 53rd Test Wings successfully tested and integrated the weapon onto the F-15E Strike Eagle. In February 2026, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded BAE Systems a US$145 million contract to upgrade the AGR-20F into a dual-mode weapon by adding a Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) seeker. In late 2026, prototyping and testing of the munition's dual-mode variant on U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopters was concluded.

The AGR-20F FALCO has proven to be in high demand; the U.S. government found the munition critical enough that it diverted 30,000 proximity fuzes intended for Ukraine for surface-to-air muse to the Middle East for use on its fighters with the issuance of the "Secretary of Defense Identified Urgent Issue" by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, intended to prioritize the protection of U.S. troops, aircraft, and bases in the Middle East. Before this redirection, the munitions were funded under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed frustration over the sudden loss, claiming that Ukraine had counted on those specific 20,000 munitions to counter Russia’s relentless Shahed drone strikes.

Countries across the Middle East and the United Kingdom are ordering the APKWS, particularly for use on their Eurofighter Typhoons. The British Army has fielded air-to-air APKWS on some of its Apache helicopters.

Foreign users

Launch platforms

APKWS II launched from SH-60S/MH-60S Seahawk
USAF F-16C counter-UCAV load out with two LAU-131 rocket pods

See also

References

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