The Air Force and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems have successfully tested firing laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets from an MQ-9A Reaper drone.
The flight tests took place recently at the Nevada Test and Training Range and included multiple types of shots, all of which were successful, General Atomics said in a May 11 statement. Some test fires struck aerial targets, the company said.
APKWS is a low-cost, semi-active laser-guidance system made by BAE Systems and sized to modify 2.75-inch, or 70mm, aerial rockets such as the Hydra 70. It was originally designed to conduct precision strikes against targets such as light vehicles, including those that are moving, or personnel without causing large amounts of collateral damage.
It has become the Air Force’s primary air-to-air weapon against Iranian drones in the Middle East in recent years. F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Strike Eagles in the region commonly carry APKWS rockets for air-to-air use on combat missions, and the rockets are also employed by A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. APKWS rockets have been seen on U.S. aircraft patrolling the skies during America’s conflict with Iran.
The Air Force first used the AGR-20 APKWS in June 2016, when it was fired from an F-16. APKWS had already been in use by the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. It can fly up to nearly seven miles, and detonate with an explosive warhead, white phosphorus, or an illuminating round. A-29s, OV-10s, attack helicopters, and other platforms have used APKWS rockets. The system was first tested in an air-to-air role in 2019. APKWS rockets have been used in combat against drones since 2024.
Fighters have APKWS to shoot down Houthi drones attacking ships in the Red Sea and Iranian drones. Officials say the rockets cost less than $40,000 apiece, which makes them a more cost-effective tool to counter swarms of dozens, or even hundreds, of drones than other options such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM or AIM-9 Sidewinder.
General Atomics said mounting APWKS on a Reaper drone could provide an effective way to shoot down small, explosive drones.
“We recognize the value that a system like APKWS brings to the MQ-9 aircraft as a tool to counter one-way attack drones,” General Atomics Aeronautical President David Alexander said in the statement. “APKWS can increase the number of weapons the MQ-9A is able to carry, as well as being able to carry new lower-cost weapons.”
Pentagon Editor Chris Gordon contributed reporting.