BAE Systems was awarded a $1.743 billion firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for the production and delivery of as many as 55,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS) weapons.
As part of the contract, the current 2.75-in. unguided Hydra rocket system is upgraded into a semi-active laser-guided precision weapon for use by U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and foreign military customers. The upgraded system is intended to serve as a low-cost means of destroying targets while limiting collateral damage in close combat.
The upgraded APKWS rocket system, which requires no maintenance, features a point-and-shoot design. It can engage stationary and moving targets. With its laser-guided precision rockets, the upgraded APKWS (see image above) is enhanced with ground-to-ground capability.
The upgrade began production in 2011 and is used on many aviation systems, including the AH-1W Super Cobra, UH-1Y Venom, MH-60 Seahawk, and AH-64 Apache helicopters. The latest award covers full-rate production lots 13-17. Work on the contract, issued by Naval Air Systems Command (Patuxent River, Md.), is expected to be completed December 2031.
