Aircraft
BAE Systems Negotiates Full-Rate Production Of APKWS

BAE Systems has been busy negotiating a full-rate production contract this week for its advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS), which was fielded by the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan this spring after years of development and testing. The guidance kit is being advanced for use on other airborne platforms, for larger weapons and for different warheads.

The APKWS converts the Hydra 70-mm unguided rocket into a precision-guided munition through the addition of the WGU-59/B midbody guidance and control section, developed byBAE. The WGU-59/B adds a distributed-aperture, semi-active laser seeker, and the weapon is flown to the target by wings with flaperons that deploy after launch. The weapon was fielded by the Marines in Afghanistan in March on AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1Y Huey helicopters.