A few days after the first images of Strike Eagle fighters carrying four or six LAU-131 launch containers for drone hunting appeared, the US Central Command published a photograph showing similar equipment on a combat-deployed F-15E.
A new combat unit for combating UAVs, consisting of six rocket launchers LAU-131A, which the US Air Force demonstrated on F-15E fighters participating in tests at Eglin Air Force Base, has entered the area of responsibility of the US Central Command.
The US Air Force Command has just shared an image of one of the F-15Es deployed in the Middle East, carrying six LAU-131 containers, a total of 42 laser-guided AGR-20 APKWSII (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II) missiles. In fact, the extended version of the standard LAU-131A, LAU-131A/A, can carry 7 missiles.
Interestingly, in addition to the 42 missiles, the F-15E appears to be equipped with 4 air-to-air missiles AIM-9X and 4 air-to-air missiles AIM-120C/D.
Although the original message did not specify the exact location of the F-15E, it took OSINT researcher Evergreen Intel just a few minutes to geolocate the image and gather additional information about the aircraft.
The APKWS missiles for the F-15E, which successfully completed their test cycle at Eglin Air Force Base, have recently been accepted into service as an air-to-air weapon by the US Air Force F-16 fighters participating in drone interception missions in the Red Sea area.
Originally developed as a low-cost precision-guided munition with laser guidance for air-to-ground targets, the APKWSII was first tested for air-to-air use in 2019. It offers an affordable option for engaging slow-moving aerial threats such as drones and cruise missiles. During recent operations, F-16s typically operated in pairs: one aircraft designated the target using a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, while the other performed the attack run with missiles.
Compared to traditional air-to-air missile configurations, the APKWS configuration allowed the F-16 to significantly increase its combat capability. While the standard loadout of AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles provides six shots, carrying one or two APKWS missile packs allowed the Viper to triple that number. This was achieved at a fraction of the cost, as each APKWS missile is valued at approximately $30,000, while an AIM-9X costs around $450,000 and an AIM-120 exceeds $1 million each. The trade-off is that APKWS missiles are effective only against predictable targets with limited maneuverability.
The recently tested F-15E loadout further expands the concept. With six installed LAU-131 containers, the Strike Eagle can carry up to 42 APKWS missiles in addition to the standard set of eight air-to-air missiles. This gives the aircraft up to 50 attack opportunities, even without considering the internal gun. The configuration also provides greater operational flexibility: the weapons systems officer in the rear seat can laser-designate targets using the Sniper ATP, while the pilot focuses on the attack, eliminating the need for paired operations similar to those conducted with the F-16.
The integration of APKWSII on the Strike Eagle appears to be a logical evolution. During the Iranian drone attack on Israel in April 2024, the F-15E was among the aircraft tasked with intercepting the incoming wave of drones. One of the limiting factors during this operation was the limited number of air-to-air missiles available to each aircraft. An F-15E equipped with a high missile loadout would have significantly increased the duration and effectiveness of sorties against UAVs.
APKWSII is already in use on several US platforms, including the AV-8B Harrier and F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft of the US Marine Corps, AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom, A-10C and F-16 aircraft of the US Air Force, MH-60R/S helicopters of the US Navy, and AH-64D/E Apache helicopters of the US Army.
APKWSII is based on the unguided Hydra 70 rocket. This cost-effective modification transforms a simple unguided munition into a precision weapon. The system uses four folding wings with laser guidance optics known as a Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS), which provides a wide field of view for tracking both stationary and moving targets.
The dual-mode guidance system for 70mm rockets APKWSII, with infrared and laser guidance, enhances fighter jets' capabilities to counter UAVs, tasked with effectively and inexpensively repelling drone attacks.
BAE Systems recently unveiled a new APK (Advanced Precision Kit) for 70mm Hydra rockets as part of the APKWSII (Advanced Kill Precision Weapon System II) at the Sea Air Space 2025 conference in Maryland. The new kit includes an InfraRed (IR) seeker in addition to the existing laser guidance, making the missile a dual-mode weapon.
Adding IR guidance will relieve pilots of the need for continuous laser illumination of aerial targets, such as cheap kamikaze drones used by the Houthis, allowing them to quickly engage other threats. Until now, the laser-guided variant has been used in this role thanks to special enhancements.
As reported by The Aviationist in February 2025, US Air Force F-16 aircraft deployed in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility have been using APKWSII as an air-to-air weapon against Houthis' UAVs over the Red Sea since 2024. The laser-guided APKWSII addressed the cost shortage issue that arose when using larger AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, each costing millions, against simple disposable strike drones costing no more than $15,000 each.
Designated by the US Department of Defense as AGR-20, APKWSII consists of an unguided Hydra 70mm rocket with the addition of a laser guidance section between the 10-pound fragmentation warhead in the nose and the Mk66 Mod 4 rocket motor in the tail. The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron of the US Air Force first tested APKWSII in the air-to-air role on December 19, 2019, shooting down a small drone during a concept demonstration where an F-16 fired the missile and guided it to the target using a Sniper pod.
The weapon system underwent the Fixed Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordnance (FALCO) modernization program aimed at enhancing UAV combat capabilities. BAE Systems claims that the APK seeker is the next step in the evolution of the rocket system.
The laser guidance system presented by BAE in APKWS consists of a guidance block in the middle of the body, which includes Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) optics located on all four folding guidance wings. They have a wide field of view for engaging both moving and stationary targets in open terrain.
BAE Systems explains that the system requires no modifications to the rocket, fire platform, or fire control system. In fact, APKWS only requires a longer version of the seven-shot rocket block LAU-131/A, known as LAU-131 A/A (the Navy uses AGR-20 with a similar LAU-68 F/A).
AGR-20 FALCO is an enhanced version of APKWSII, which includes software updates to increase the lethality of the weapon in air-to-air combat against UAVs. This variant is currently in service in the area of responsibility of the US Central Command and, according to Naval News, is effectively used with a high probability of hitting aerial targets.
FALCO was a response to an emerging operational need and, upon deployment, significantly improved the US Air Force's capabilities against UAVs. The new IR seeker head of APK is based on these new technical solutions, further enhancing the capabilities of the micro SAM C-UAS.
APKWSII is also used as a ground-based micro SAM C-UAS against low-flying, slow, and cheap drones. Among the platforms performing this role are EAGLS (Electronic Advanced Ground Launcher System), deployed by the US military in the Middle East, and VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment), supplied by the US to Ukraine to combat drones. It is unclear whether these systems will use the new seeker head.
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