USAF fixed-wing aircraft have used BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System in combat for the first time. The service has fielded the laser-guided rockets—designed to minimize collateral damage—on A-10s and F-16s in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a BAE release. The Marine Corps fielded the 2.75-inch rockets on its AV-8B Harrier in March, according to a Navy release. Army and Marine helicopters have also used the rockets, which are qualified or demonstrated on more than a dozen platforms, in combat. The Air Force is buying its initial supply of rockets from the Navy’s inventory.
The Pentagon’s Golden Dome Director said Jan. 23 his top priorities for the advanced homeland missile defense shield over the next two years are establishing a baseline command-and-control capability and integrating interceptors into that system.
