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7h ago

Pentagon Orders Up to 55,000 APKWS II Rockets as Navy Moves to Add Air-to-Air Software

The move reflects a shift to lower-cost intercepts against rapidly multiplying small drones.

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U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 load a 2.75-inch rocket configured with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II onto an AH-1Z Viper. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley McLaughlin/Released)
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VAMPIRE-Marketing-Photos_SOFIC_FINAL_05_edit (1)

Overview

  • A contract announced 28 August authorizes up to 55,000 BAE Systems APKWS II rockets worth $1.7 billion, with deliveries running through the end of 2031.
  • Naval Air Systems Command issued a solicitation to integrate the True Pulse Logic algorithm into APKWS guidance kits via an engineering change to the production line.
  • The True Pulse Logic effort stems from an Air Force Research Laboratory program funded to $38 million in 2024 and slated to conclude in 2028, and the Navy is also assessing export feasibility for the upgraded variant.
  • At roughly $35,000 per round, the rockets offer a cheaper counter-drone option than traditional interceptors and have been fielded on ground launchers and across more than 45 aircraft types.
  • U.S. forces have used the rockets to down one-way unmanned aircraft in the Middle East, and the Pentagon has established Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to coordinate counter-UAS work.