BAE Systems continues to deliver APKWS guidance kits ahead of schedule and ramp production rates to meet growing demand.
The combat-proven Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS®) kits transform standard 2.75” (70mm) Hydra rockets into guided munitions that provide warfighters with a precision strike capability with limited collateral damage.
“We continue to deliver APKWS guidance kits ahead of schedule and ramp production rates to meet growing demand,” said Marc Casseres, Director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems.
“We’re committed to providing warfighters with highly reliable, low-cost laser-guided rockets that allow them to engage targets with precision and improve their overall mission efficiency,” he added.
The APKWS guidance kits are the U.S. government’s only program of record for 2.75-inch laser-guided rockets, and are available to all four military branches and to allied nations via Foreign Military Sales. The warhead of the Hydra rocket combined with precision guidance lets warfighters strike light targets while minimizing the risk of harm to friendly forces or civilian buildings nearby – making them ideal for dense urban combat.
BAE Systems continues to accelerate production of APKWS guidance kits at its state-of-the-art production facilities in Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas as it builds toward an annual production level of more than 20,000 units.
The company’s robust supply chain, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and infrastructure investments exceeding $100 million have enabled it to meet increasing production rates for its top precision munition and electronic warfare programs. APKWS rockets are part of BAE Systems precision munitions portfolio, which includes guidance systems for missiles and artillery shells, as well as advanced seeker research.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems a Phase 3 contract worth $3.1 million to continue developing autonomy software to improve the resiliency of air mission planning for the military. The program, called Resilient Synchronized Planning and Assessment for the Contested Environment (RSPACE), seeks to develop human-centered software decision aids that can assist air operators to better control daily operations in a complex battlespace.
In response to this need, and as part of the RSPACE program, BAE Systems created software called the Distributed, Interactive, Command-and-Control Tool (DIRECT) to improve air battlespace awareness. Using assessment analytics, the software provides an easy-to-use, visual interface to generate real-time alerts so operators can evaluate areas of concern during the planning and execution of a mission. The software also automatically adjusts to minimize bandwidth when communications are limited and unreliable to assist in mission continuity and completion.
