What is known about the APKWS missiles that the US promised Ukraine but sent to the Middle East?

In an interview with ABC News, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States redirected 20 thousand APKWS anti-aircraft missiles promised to Ukraine for the Middle East. Amid concerns about the implications of this move for Ukraine’s defense capabilities, we decided to look into what APKWS missiles are and why they have become a critical component of the drone countermeasure system.

Content

1 What is APKWS?
2 European analogues of APKWS
3 Modular missile system VAMPIRE
4 Analogues of the VAMPIRE system
5 Information on the use of missiles with the APKWS laser guidance system

What is APKWS?

APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) — a laser guidance system from the company BAE Systems, which converts conventional 70 mm unguided missiles, such as the Hydra 70 Mk 66 and others, into precision guided munitions. The name is also used for Hydra 70 missiles equipped with the APKWS kit in general.

The peculiarity of the APKWS system is its versatility and efficiency at a fairly low price. Modernization is carried out in the simplest way. The WGU-59/B guidance and control section is simply screwed in between the removable combat module «Hydra» and the rocket engine. It is a self-contained unit that has all the necessary electronics and four wings that deploy in flight and carry the optical sensors of the laser guidance system.

Schematic of the APKWS guided missile: 1 — warhead, 2 — WGU-59/B guidance section, 3 — Hydra 70 rocket engine

After the control section is installed, the length of the missile increases from 1.06 to 1.87 meters with the same diameter, and the weight increases by about four kilograms. The APKWS retains the Hydra 70’s solid-fuel engine, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 1,000 m/s, and the warhead, an unguided missile weighing 4 to 7 kg that can be a high-explosive, cluster, cluster, incendiary, or other type of missile.

Since the diameter of the missile body does not change during the upgrade, the system is compatible with any 70 mm caliber launcher, including aircraft units for «Hydra». At the same time, a new transport and launch container (TLC) for four missiles was developed for ground platforms. Together with the targeting and fire control equipment, it can be mounted on various chassis with a sufficiently spacious cargo platform.

APKWS missile launch from an off-road vehicle

APKWS was originally designed for use from aircraft, but is now also used in «surface-to-surface and «surface-to-air modes. This makes it a versatile short-range missile system capable of engaging a wide range of targets from armored vehicles, light fortifications and enemy manpower concentrations to drones and low-flying cruise missiles at a range of 4-5 km.

At the same time, the use of parts from the widely used Hydra 70 missiles allows for a lower price ($22-40 thousand) than for other types of precision weapons. For comparison, the price of a TOW anti-tank missile starts at $55,000, and a M982 Excalibur projectile costs more than $130,000. In the niche of anti-aircraft missiles, it is difficult to find competitors for APKWS. Even a missile for the Stinger man-portable air defense system costs more than $120,000, and the prices of missiles for more powerful systems are measured in millions.

In general, the APKWS system combines qualities that clearly demonstrate its importance in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is a cheap missile that can be deployed on any mobile platform, is ready to launch in a minimum of time after stopping, can hit ground targets outside the line of sight when illuminated by UAVs. It also provides high-quality protection against drones and other relatively low-speed airborne targets.

European analogues of APKWS

Fortunately for us, the European missile manufacturer Thales Belgium has its technology for turning unguided 70 mm caliber missiles into precision weapons. Its specialists have created the FZ275 LGR missile, which can be considered a Belgian analogue of the APKWS with minor differences. In particular, the guidance unit is located in the head part of the missile, and the warhead is located in the middle part.

The FZ275 LGR missiles are compatible with APKWS launchers and have also entered service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Moreover, in November 2024, Thales signed a contract with Ukraine Memorandum, under which joint production of the FZ275 LGR will be launched at Ukrainian defense enterprises.

Launch of the 70 mm FZ275 LGR missile from the Greek SARISA II drone

Interestingly, in February of this year, Thales Belgium conducted the first test launch of a 70 mm FZ275 LGR missile from a Greek SARISA II drone. At a range of 1.7 km, the missile struck target with a deviation of 20 cm, which confirms its high accuracy. The manufacturer also claims that the FZ275 LGR is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 5 km and has demonstrated high stability in the air.

Modular missile system VAMPIRE

To engage ground targets and unmanned aerial vehicles, the US aerospace company L3Harris has created the VAMPIRE (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) modular missile system. This is a portable system for launching APKWS missiles or other compatible laser-guided munitions. The system is self-contained and can be installed on any suitable platform, such as commercial off-road vehicles or Humvee military vehicles, in a few hours.

VAMPIRE modular missile system / Photo: L3Harris

The centerpiece of the system is the WESCAM MX-10 RSTA multichannel targeting sensor, which is typically mounted on a high elevation mast and can provide a wide field of view for long-range covert missions.

Information from it is transmitted to a control module with a digital display, where the operator selects the target and commands its illumination with a laser targeting device. The signal of which is received by the sensors of the APKWS missiles. The missiles themselves are placed in a transport and launch container LAND-GR4 from Arnold Defense.

In January 2023, L3Harris was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to supply 14 VAMPIRE systems to the Ukrainian security forces. Their main task was to combat Shahed 136 drones, which Russians use to terrorize Ukrainian cities on a massive scale.

Analogues of the VAMPIRE system

At the end of 2022, in the next aid package, Germany promised us 20 pickup trucks for launching 70 mm guided missiles, which were listed in the documents as Raketenwerfer 70 mm auf Pick-up trucks mit Raketen. Later it became known that the contract was awarded to Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, which integrates the FZ275 missile launcher and the corresponding sighting equipment for placement on the pickup truck.

Information on the use of missiles with the APKWS laser guidance system

In November 2022, BAE Systems spent test firing of APKWS missiles. Five missiles successfully shot down drones of «second class», i.e. drones weighing up to 25 kg and flying at speeds up to 200 km/h, which include the racist «Orlan-10» and «Lancet».

APU for the first time showed the work of the APKWS system

The footage of missiles hitting targets was recorded by a drone. pic.twitter.com/CORuYJ0hwR

— Lew Anno Support#Israel #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) May 8, 2023

In May 2023, footage of the combat use of APKWS precision-guided missiles from an armored Humvee was posted online by soldiers of the 37th Separate Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are performing tasks in the Kherson region.

VAMPIRE modular missile system on the Humvee chassis

The first documented destruction of Shahed drones by the APKWS system and the territory of Ukraine took place in the summer of 2023. And on January 25, 2025, the Ukrainian Navy released footage of the crew of one of the boats using the system for the first time whips APKWS missile a Russian missile «air-to-ground» X-59.