The U.S. Air Force has acquired BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWSTM) laser-guided rockets for use on F-16 and A-10 aircraft in ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“We are confident that the addition of this highly accurate, low-collateral-damage weapon system will be a game-changer for F-16 and A-10 users in the U.S. Air Force and around the world," said David Harrold, director of precision guidance solutions at BAE Systems.

The deployment marks the first time these systems have been used in combat operations from an Air Force fixed-wing platform. The APKWS rocket, a mid-body guidance kit that transforms a standard unguided munition into a precision laser-guided rocket, has proven highly successful for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since 2012 and has also been used by U.S. Army Apache helicopters in combat.

Currently in its fourth year of full-rate production and qualified or demonstrated on more than a dozen rotary and fixed-wing platforms, the APKWS rocket is the only U.S. Department of Defense fully qualified, guided 2.75-inch rocket that uses semi-active laser guidance technology.