BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System variants for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft both hit major milestones recently, with the fixed-wing variant wrapping up a Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration (JCTD) proving successful operations on three platforms and the original system submitting data from a recent live-fire test to support airworthiness qualification on the AH-64D Apache helicopter.
Naval Air Systems Command announced Oct. 15 that U.S. Central Command had released its Military Utility Assessment for the fixed-wing APKWS, which confirmed the laser-guided rocket system met all performance requirements to launch from the A-10 Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier II and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
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| BAE Systems’ APKWS recently wrapped up tests on the A-10, AV-8B and F-16 fixed-wing platforms. Photo courtesy BAE Systems. |
APKWS adds a laser guidance system to the middle section of the Hydra 70mm (2.75 inch) rocket, with the fixed-wing variant needing slight adjustments from the original to accommodate operating in higher altitudes and at higher speeds. A variety of ground and live-fire tests on both the guidance section and the all-up round “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 in the NAVAIR announcement.
The F-18 Hornet was originally supposed to be included in the JCTD, but Dan Riffee, BAE’s business development manager for precision guidance solutions, told reporters that “I’m told the funding for F-18 was not available” when it came time to do the testing.
The original APKWS system is a program of record for use on the AH-1W and UH-1Y, and CENTCOM’s MUA is the next step in adding these fixed-wing platforms to the program of record.
BAE also recently used internal funding to conduct testing on the Apache helicopters in the hopes of tapping into a pool of international customers currently flying that platform. On Sept. 4 and 5, soldiers at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona fired eight shots as part of the process of becoming qualified under the Army’s airworthiness release process, Riffee said at a press briefing at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting and exposition on Oct. 22. Apaches and Hydra rockets are already approved for foreign sales, and Riffee said that qualifying the APKWS could attract several foreign militaries. He added the company is in talks with “multiple” other nations but declined to name them.
BAE submitted all its engineering data and test data from September and is now waiting for the Army to review the package and sign off on the qualification.
Riffee said sales to the Marine Corps are moving along nicely. The company recently completed its first full-rate production contract and is negotiating the terms of the second contract with the Navy now. He could not get into the details of the contract but said the Navy had BAE’s proposal and that a contract should be in place by the end of the calendar year.
He added the company’s production facilities in Nashua, N.H., were being expanded to accommodate future foreign military sales, as well as hopefully sales to the Army eventually–the Army started APKWS but dropped it in 2007, with the Navy picking it up the following year on behalf of the Marine Corps.
“We have communicated very well to the Army all of our successes, all of our tests, to include AH-64 and JCTD,” Riffee said. “And what I would say is that they are very well informed and investigating the implementation of the rocket into the Army. There’s no promises, as you can imagine there’s probably some–this is my opinion–there’s a lot of dynamics going on with budgets.”