Opportunity in affordable drone defence: Laser-guided APKWS
Inexpensive countermeasures for basic drones have become a pressing issue for military forces globally. The Americans are no exception and have swiftly found a solution that should pique every country's interest. Here's what it is.
American ships and aircraft ensuring security in the Red Sea have already used weapons worth over a billion dollars in neutralising ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, and drones launched by the Yemeni Houthis.
The last type of threat was particularly problematic, as firing missiles worth hundreds of thousands or even a few million dollars at makeshift drones did not quite compute. The Americans, drawing similar conclusions to the Ukrainians, needed something more affordable than the relatively cheap AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and safer than cannons.
These are the least expensive options, although they require a range of several hundred metres, posing a risk to aircraft from shrapnel resulting from the explosion of the downed drone. Consequently, it became standard to use AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles priced at "only" about £350,000 each, which is still a considerable amount compared to AIM-120 AMRAAMs costing over £800,000 each.
APKWS missiles — air-to-ground missiles as drone killers
According to The Warzone, which cited a conversation with a US Air Force representative, the solution turned out to be laser-guided APKWS missiles initially designed for combating ground targets. Ukrainians demonstrated that they could effectively shoot down Shahed drones, prompting someone in the USAF to consider using them on F-16s.
This represents a significant saving and allows combating more targets than standard armament. APKWS missiles are based on unguided Hydra 70 mm rockets, which will enable them to be placed in LAU32 or LAU51 pods containing seven or 19 missiles, respectively. Note that one pod occupies only one aircraft armament pylon.
APKWS missiles — almost free
The production of APKWS missiles developed by BAE Systems involves adding a section with a laser-reflecting guidance head and foldable control surfaces to the Hydra 70 mm rocket. This brings the sole cost (around £12,000) to this component and its installation, while the Hydra rockets can virtually be considered free. The US and other NATO countries have hundreds of thousands or even millions of them stockpiled.
When launched from helicopters or aircraft, they have a range of about 6 kilometres. Their only drawback when used as anti-aircraft weapons is that they require a simple impact fuse; a proximity fuse would be a better option.
However, such a variant may be produced within a few years due to demand. It's also worth noting that, given Russian tactics in Ukraine, acquiring such weapons would be most beneficial.
