U.S. Approved Sale of 5,000 APKWS-II Guidance Kits to Italy for Use Against Drones

The U.S. has approved the sale to Italy of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System-II (APKWS-II) air-to-air missile systems and related equipment.

The estimated value of the potential deal is $364 million, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Italian government has requested authorization to purchase 5,031 WGU-59B/B guidance systems for the APKWS-II. The request also includes LAU-131 A/A launchers, Mk-152 high-explosive warheads, MK66 rocket motors, contactless fuses, and training equipment.

In addition, the potential delivery includes equipment support, technical documentation, transportation, as well as engineering, technical, and logistical services provided by the U.S. government and the contractor.

The prime contractor for the contract will be BAE Systems, located in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The APKWS-II is a laser guidance kit that transforms standard 70 mm Hydra 70 unguided rockets into high-precision munitions. In the version designed to engage air targets, the rocket is equipped with a special non-contact fuse and optimized software, allowing it to effectively intercept drones and other slow-moving air targets at ranges of up to 5–6 km.

In the APKWS-II version, engineers relocated the laser receivers to the leading edges of the deployable wings, protecting them from damage during the launch of adjacent rockets. This also made it possible to integrate the system onto aircraft and drones.