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21 janvier 2015 3 21 /01 /janvier /2015 08:30
BAE touts APKWS for IS battle

 

15 Jan 2015 By: Beth Stevenson - FG

 

BAE Systems is touting the incorporation of its precision rocket guided system into the US Air Force’s fixed-wing inventory, where it could be utilised in the fight against Islamic State militants.

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is currently used on some of the US Marine Corps’ rotary platforms – the Bell UH-1Y Venoms and AH-1W Cobras – but BAE says it could be optimised for fixed-wing aircraft for the air force.

“We continue to talk to the United States Air Force, the Air National Guard and the Marine Corps, to figure out what it might take to bring just a slightly modified rotary wing variant to those fixed wing platforms – and get it fielded urgently because there are [suitable] platforms that are in the fight today,” Dave Harrold, product line director for APKWS at BAE Systems, tells Flightglobal.

 

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16 octobre 2013 3 16 /10 /octobre /2013 07:20
Air Force, Marines Clearing APKWS Guided Rockets for F-16, A-10 and AV-8B

In April 2013 an Air Force A-10 Warthog launched APKWS FW guided rockets from altitudes of 10,000-15,000 ft at an airspeed of 348 knots. Photo  BAE Systems

 

October 15, 2013 defense-update.com

 

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the success of recent tests conducted with a fixed wing variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) laser-guided rocket. The tests were performed by the Direct & Time Sensitive Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-242), demonstrating robust design of the and the completion of the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. The conclusion of the JCTD is the next step toward evaluating the addition the Fixed Wing variant to the current APKWS Program of Record.

“The variety of tests helped us evaluate weapons systems build up, loading and delivery, and later, illustrate that the weapon would perform, as designed, to hit stationary and moving targets,” Bill Hammersley, the JCTD technical manager, said. “The success of these tests means that an aircraft pilot will be able to carry seven guided rockets in one launcher that weigh less than a single 500 lb. bomb, allowing for more shots in a single sortie,” added Hammersley.

“Fixed wing APKWS uses a different guidance control system to compensate for the higher altitude and longer range employments of the weapon,” Cmdr. Alex Dutko, Airborne Rockets /Pyrotechnics deputy program manager for PMA-242 explained. “The deployment mechanism had to be redesigned in order to overcome the higher aerodynamic forces of the fixed wing environment.” Guidance section tests not only demonstrated design robustness but also helped reduce risk in subsequent live-fire tests, Dutko continued. Rocket testing included ground launches and two different aerial launches, performance and MUA shots. Flight launches were tested from the A-10 Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier II, and F-16 Fighting Falcon.

“These latest test results underscore the power and versatility of the APKWS technology and provide further proof that the system can be launched off of any platform capable of shooting an unguided 2.75-inch rocket,” said David Harrold, director of precision guidance solutions at BAE Systems. “Since its introduction on Marine Corps helicopters in combat operations, the APKWS rocket has proven its ability to defeat a broad range of targets. This test is an important step in bringing that same capability to fixed-wing aviators.”

During the tests held since the spring of 2013 at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, APKWS rockets were fired from various aircraft at different altitudes. In April BAE reported that an Air Force A-10 Warthog launched the rockets at altitudes of approximately 10,000 and 15,000 feet, at airspeeds up to 348 knots. During this test the first controlled test-vehicle shot performed a series of pre-planned maneuvers to collect in-flight data. The second shot, into a 70-knot headwind, hit the target board well within the required 2 meters of the laser spot. The shot was laser-designated from the ground with a special operations forces marker.

To date, the APKWS rocket has been qualified on the AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters, demonstrated on the Bell 407GT, and has been flown off the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the Beechcraft AT-6B, AV-8B and A-10. It is expected to be similarly qualified for use on several other rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft including the AH-64D/E Apache, the armed MH-60R/S, AH-6, AV-8B, F-16, and F/A-18. BAE Systems is the prime contractor for the APKWS rocket, the only U.S. program of record delivering precision guidance for 2.75-inch rockets.

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18 avril 2013 4 18 /04 /avril /2013 17:50
Fixed-Wing Aviators Set Sights on APKWS

Apr 18, 2013 ASDNews Source : BAE Systems PLC

Our proven laser-guided rocket continues to impress

BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS™) rocket recently launched and engaged targets from a U.S. Air Force A-10 jet, marking another milestone for the laser-guided rocket system. This expanded capability gives pilots of fast-moving jet aircraft a precision-guided stand-off system that has proven to be the low-collateral-damage weapon of choice for Marine Corps helicopter pilots in Afghanistan.

“These latest test results underscore the power and versatility of the APKWS technology and provide further proof that the system can be launched off of any platform capable of shooting an unguided 2.75-inch rocket,” said David Harrold, director of precision guidance solutions at BAE Systems. “Since its introduction on Marine Corps helicopters in combat operations, the APKWS rocket has proven its ability to defeat a broad range of targets. This test is an important step in bringing that same capability to fixed-wing aviators.”

During the recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, two APKWS rockets were fired from an Air Force A-10 Warthog at altitudes of approximately 10,000 and 15,000 feet, at airspeeds up to 348 knots. The first controlled test-vehicle shot performed a series of pre-planned maneuvers to collect in-flight data. The second shot, into a 70-knot headwind, hit the target board well within the required 2 meters of the laser spot. The shot was laser-designated from the ground with a special operations forces marker. These shots are the first in a series planned under a Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration program with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. The A-10 is the first Air Force platform to conduct testing of the fixed-wing variant of the APKWS weapon. The U.S. Marine Corps recently conducted similar tests off the AV-8B Harrier aircraft.

At one-third the cost and one-third the weight of other precision weapons in inventory, the APKWS rocket is an ideal precision weapon for today’s fiscal environment, reducing the direct cost of target engagement and the total operational cost of each sortie. To date, the APKWS rocket has been qualified on the AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters, demonstrated on the Bell 407GT, and has been flown off the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, the Beechcraft AT-6B — and now, the A-10. It is expected to be similarly qualified for use on several other rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft including the AH-64D/E Apache, the armed MH-60R/S, AH-6, AV-8B, F-16, and F/A-18.

BAE Systems is prime contractor for the APKWS rocket, the only U.S. program of record delivering precision guidance for 2.75-inch rockets.

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