APKWS: How the BAE Systems Laser Guidance Kit Works Against Drones

How an APKWS Kit Turns a Rocket Into a Guided Munition

An APKWS kit converts an unguided 2.75-inch (70 mm) rocket, such as the Hydra 70 Mk 66, into a laser-guided munition, according to the BAE Systems APKWS product page. BAE Systems calls APKWS "the U.S. Government's only program of record for 2.75"/70mm guided rockets."

The guidance hardware sits in four wings. BAE Systems says all four guidance wings carry Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) optics. Wing-slot seals protect those optics before firing, and the wings deploy after launch, according to the product page.

BAE Systems lists a 40-degree instantaneous field of regard for the seeker and says it can track moving or stationary targets. A Single Variant Block Upgrade gives the rocket a steeper angle of attack, per the same page.

BAE Systems says it designed the kit for any 2.75-inch/70 mm rocket system in U.S. inventory, primarily the Hydra 70 with the Mk 66 motor.

Range, Warheads and Compatible Launchers

BAE Systems says the APKWS guidance section can lock onto targets from "over 6 kilometers away," and that the next-generation kit delivers a 30% increase in strike distance. The two figures are not stated against a common baseline, so they should not be multiplied into a new range.

BAE Systems says upgrades optimize performance with the M151 fragmentation warhead, the M423 fuse and the M260/261 launcher. The figures used on this page include no warhead weight, fuse setting or maximum flight distance.

APKWS Against Drones

BAE Systems says APKWS has proven capable in "air-to-air targeting of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)" and against low-flying cruise missiles, as part of a counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) role. That statement is the manufacturer's claim on its product page. The cited sources give no count of drones destroyed by APKWS.

BAE Systems says over 20 platforms are qualified to carry APKWS, while the list on the same product page names 19. Named platforms include the AH-64D/E Apache, F-16, F-18, A-10, MH-60S/R and UH-60L/M. The figures used here do not reconcile the two.

BAE Systems says ground-launched APKWS variants are used from vehicles and remote weapon stations. For the wider category of drone defense equipment, see counter-UAS and anti-drone systems. For drones built to intercept other drones, see Ukrainian interceptor drones.

Production Sites, Capacity and Deliveries

BAE Systems builds APKWS kits in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Austin, Texas, according to its product page. The page states production capacity of "at least 25,000 units per year" and says BAE Systems has invested over $100 million in infrastructure improvements.

BAE Systems says more than 100,000 APKWS units have been delivered, with first production in 2008 and full-rate production for over 12 years. The product page also says over a thousand units were delivered ahead of schedule through surge capacity.

The product page gives no figure for units fired.

The December 2025 Navy Contract

BAE Systems announced on 10 December 2025 that the U.S. Navy awarded it a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for APKWS kits with a $1.7 billion maximum value. According to the release, the contract covers "tens of thousands" of additional guidance kits, and the initial order was $322 million.

The release says the kits are available to "all U.S. armed forces" and, through foreign defense sales, to allies. Neeta Jayaraman, director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems, said in the release that the award "reinforces the value of proven and cost-efficient precision munitions."

The $1.7 billion figure is a maximum value, and the $322 million initial order is about 19% of it ($322 million divided by $1.7 billion). The release gives "tens of thousands" of kits as the quantity and the sources used here give no exact kit count to pair with a dollar figure. No unit price can be calculated from the release.

The October 2026 Pentagon Framework Deal

Defense News reported on 19 October 2026 that the Pentagon and BAE Systems agreed a framework for up to 25,000 APKWS kits a year. Defense News says that volume could rise to 35,000 a year for U.S. allies as partner nations place Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requests.

The framework runs up to seven years, according to Defense News. Congress must still approve and fund the purchase, and the two sides are working out a multiyear contract, Defense News reports. Neither the Pentagon nor BAE Systems disclosed the cost, per Defense News.

Defense News says the purpose of the framework is to support counter-drone efforts and keep production steady. The Pentagon says the deal "keeps production lines running at capacity" and gives forces interceptor inventory, according to Defense News.

The 25,000-a-year framework volume reported by Defense News is the same figure as the "at least 25,000 units per year" capacity on the BAE Systems product page. Defense News reports that no multiyear contract covering the framework has been signed.

What BAE Systems and the Pentagon Do Not Publish About APKWS

The BAE Systems product page, the Navy contract release and the Defense News report leave five gaps.

• No unit price for an APKWS kit appears in any of the three sources.
• No price for the October 2026 framework exists, because Defense News says neither side disclosed the cost.
• No count of APKWS units fired and no count of drones destroyed by APKWS appears in the sources.
• The platform count conflicts on one page, with BAE Systems stating "over 20" qualified platforms and naming 19.
• The October 2026 framework has no signed multiyear contract and no congressional funding, according to Defense News.