On December 10, 2025, the U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a new five-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for APKWS II laser-guidance kits to equip the U.S. armed forces with tens of thousands of additional low-cost, precision munitions. The contract has a maximum value of 1.7 billion USD, with an initial order worth 322 million USD.
The core component of the WGU-59/B APKWS II module is the DASALS (Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker) guidance system, which is installed between the Mk 152 warhead with the Mk 435 fuze and the Mk 66 Mod 4 rocket motor and the missile’s fuel reservoir. This configuration converts 70 mm Hydra 70 unguided rockets into semi-active laser-guided anti-armor missiles. / Graphic: BAE Systems
The new contract supports growing domestic and international demand, enabling the U.S. Navy to procure APKWS kits over a five-year period. The kits are available to all branches of the U.S. armed forces, as well as to allies through foreign military sales. APKWS provides mission effectiveness while keeping costs low. The kits have been combat-proven in air-to-ground, ground-to-ground, ground-to-air, and air-to-air roles.
“This award reinforces the value of proven and cost-efficient precision munitions, which have consistently demonstrated their effectiveness and versatility across multiple platforms and missions,” said Neeta Jayaraman, director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “The APKWS guidance kit provides advanced capabilities to our armed forces and foreign allies, and high-volume production ensures rapid and efficient delivery to the warfighter.”
APKWS kits convert 2.75-inch unguided rockets into laser-guided missiles for precision strikes. Users can employ this combat-proven system to engage a wide range of stationary and moving soft and armored targets while minimizing collateral damage. APKWS enables precise engagement of both air and ground targets, giving operators flexibility across a broad spectrum of missions. This highly versatile kit can be used from various platforms, including rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based stationary and mobile launchers, and naval vessels.
The APKWS kit is compatible with new and existing inventories of rocket motors, warheads, and fuzes. It requires minimal training for combat use and relies on a simple, low-cost support system, making it an efficient method of transforming an unguided rocket into a precision munition.
BAE Systems has conducted full-rate production of APKWS guidance kits for more than 12 years, enabling U.S. forces and their allies to engage diverse targets at a fraction of the cost of traditional munitions. The company leverages a robust supply chain and proven manufacturing capacity to deliver guidance kits quickly and reliably.
APKWS laser guidance kits are manufactured at BAE Systems’ modern facilities in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Austin, Texas.
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So far, APKWS II has been integrated with AV-8B, OV-10, F-16C/D, A-10, A-29, F/A-18, and CN-235 aircraft, as well as UH-1Y, AH-1W/Z, AH-64, Tiger, MH-60R/S, Bell 407GT, and AH-6i helicopters. They are launched from LAU-131A/A, LAU-68F/A, LAU-68D/A, and LAU-61G/A DRL (Digital Rocket Launcher) pods. Work is underway to integrate them with the Harvest Hawk module on KC-130J aircraft, as well as with V-22 tiltrotors, MQ-8C unmanned helicopters, and Strix UAVs. They are also launched from ground vehicles (e.g., ACV-30, and the AGR-20A module for the Land-LGR4 Fletcher launcher from Arnold Defense Fletcher).
On August 2, 2021, BAE Systems unveiled an improved APKWS II variant, featuring a 30% increase in range and accuracy — extending engagement distances from 5 to 6.5 km for helicopter launches, and from 11 to 14.3 km for fixed-wing aircraft. Full-rate production began in the third quarter of 2021. APKWS II kits are manufactured at BAE Systems Inc. facilities in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Austin, Texas, and were first delivered to U.S. armed forces.
Thus far, the kits have been exported to the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Australia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco. More recently, approval for purchases has been granted to the Czech Republic, Egypt, and Slovakia (the latter will likely cancel its order; Mexico has already done so). Upcoming users also include Poland (which received approval to purchase 7,650 kits for Apache helicopters), Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. As part of military assistance, kits were also delivered to Ukraine for integration with L3Harris VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) launchers.
This year the munition was also tested from the TRV-150 multirotor unmanned aerial system.
#NEWS: BAE Systems has received a contract for continued production of APKWS® laser-guidance kits, equipping U.S. armed forces and allies with tens of thousands of additional low-cost precision munitions.
Learn more: https://t.co/drpacXE0iE pic.twitter.com/6CCYFt7lya
— BAE Systems, Inc. (@BAESystemsInc) December 10, 2025